WBC diamond belt middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) scored an eleventh round KO over previously undefeated European champion “Dazzling” Darren Barker (23-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Barker crowded Martinez and fight defensively, but Sergio adjusted to broke Barker down over the long hall and finished him with a right hook. Time was 1:29.

Top-rated middleweight contender Andy Lee (27-1, 19 KOs) avenged the only loss of his professional career with a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Brian Vera (19-6, 12 KOs). Lee dropped Vera with a straight left at the end of round two and easily outboxed Vera the rest of the way to take a 98-91, 99-90, 99-90 verdict. Vera scored a seventh round TKO over Lee in their first match back in March 2008.

Heavy handed South African Isaac Chilemba made the most of his first fight under the DiBella Entertainment banner, demolishing Brooklyn’s Jameson Bostic (13-5-1, 8 KOs) in two rounds to improve to 18-1-1 (9 KOs). After a tentative round one, Chilemba exploded with a straight right hand that hurt Bostic, causing the New Yorker to retreat to the neutral corner. Chilemba wasted no time in finishing Bostic, ripping his opponent with straight rights and left hooks until Bostic crumbled to the canvas, causing referee Samuel Viruet to halt the fight at 1:48 of round 2.

Popular Irishman Seanie Monaghan improved to 9-0 (6 KOs), pummeling Texan Kentrell Claiborne (2-4, 1 KO) for four rounds in a light heavyweight bout. Monaghan was too much for Claiborne, landing repeatedly with overhand rights and right uppercuts to the roar of the crowd. After watching Claiborne walk away from a three punch combination, referee Samuel Viruet decided to stop the bout at 0:54 of round four.

Promising Bronx-based Puerto Rican prospect Christian Martinez (11-0, 9 KOs) scored a spectacular fifth round knock out over Jay Krupp (14-5, 7 KOs), of the Catskills, NY. Martinez patiently stalked Krupp behind a stiff left jab and landed quick, short right hands in close. Martinez employed a vicious body attack to wear down Krupp in the early rounds. In a toe-to-toe exchange, Martinez landed a short right uppercut in round five that buckled the tough as nails Krupp. Sensing that his opponent was hurt, Martinez trapped Krupp against the ropes and unleashed a flurry of powerful left hooks and straight right hands that crumpled Krupp to the canvas, causing referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight at 0:38 of round five.

In a heavyweight attraction, Magomed Abdusalamov (10-0, 10 KOs), fighting out of Oxnard, CA, annihilated 300+lb Kevin Burnett (13-5-1, 8 KOs), dropping the huge fighter out of Atlanta, Georgia down three times before his corner stopped the fight at 1:19 of the opening stanza.

West Point grad Boyd Melson (6-0, 4 KOs), of White Plains, NY, hammered Hillard, Ohio’s Russ Niggemayr (2-4, 2 KOs) over 6 rounds in a junior middleweight contest. Southpaw Melson, trained by former world champion Joey Gamache, almost fought exclusively with his right hand, landing jabs and hooks to the body and head, mainly on the inside. All three judges had it for Melson by scores of 59-55, 60-54, and 60-53.

In a middleweight bout, exciting Detroit prospect J’Leon Love (9-0, 6 KOs) pounded out a 6 round unanimous decision against Kent, Washington’s Eddie Hunter (5-7-2, 2 KOs). Love employed a mixed body and head attack, countering well and landing quick jabs and right hands. Hunter was courageous and successful in spurts, but was outclassed in losing a decision by scores of 60-53, 60-54 (2x).

In the opening bout of the evening, the Bronx, New York’s Troy Artis shocked Panamanian Israel Duffus (2-1, 2 KOs) to improve his record to 3-2-1 (2 KOs) in a middleweight bout. After a tentative start for both boxers, a left hook, right hand combination dropped Duffus hard in round 3. Another Artis left hook drops Duffus in the ensuing exchange, and he beat the count once again only to be dropped a third and final time by a slew of power punches, causing referee Steve Smoger to halt the bout at 2:03 of round 3.

In another minor upset, Daniel Lugo (1-1, 0 KOs) roughed up Kevin Rooney Jr. (2-1, 1 KO) over four rounds to win a unanimous decision with three identical scores of 39-37. Lugo, a southpaw from Harrisburg, PA, bullied the Catskills, NY’s Rooney from the opening round, pressuring the junior middleweight to the ropes and landing several big left hands. Rooney showed a sturdy chin, absorbing several big left hands and landing a fair share of big right hands. Rooney enjoyed his best round in the 4th and final one, but it was not enough to convince the judges of the win.