The No. 3-ranked WBC heavyweight contender, Arslanbek Makhmudov, kept his undefeated record in tact earlier today (Sat., Oct. 28, 2023) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stopping Junior Anthony Wright Jr. with a vicious first-round TKO.
Fight fans just saw the PPV main card get started with a brutal TKO so they were probably expecting a brief lull in action. Fortunately for those looking for heavyweight knockouts, today’s card is proving to be plentiful. At least when it comes to some of these lopsided undercard bouts.
Makhmudov, who was a heavy betting favorite for this matchup, landed a short right hand followed by a clean left that sent Wright crashing to the canvas. Wright, who is naturally a cruiserweight, struggled to beat the 10-count before finally returning to his feet. The referee let the action continue for a few moments longer until Makhmudov landed another barrage of strikes and the action was waved off.
Makhmudov, 34, pushes his pro boxing record to 18-0 with this victory and cements himself as a heavyweight contender to watch entering 2024. This wasn’t the biggest test for Makhmudov, but any time you put a fighter out in one round future opponents and impressionable fight fans tend to take notice.
Check out the final moments in the above video player.
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