Highlights
—Peter Quillin was a man with bad intentions from the jump, unleashing huge power shots early in the fight. Several left hooks landed square in the first and second rounds, but Michael Zerafa proved hale and hearty as he stayed on his feet.
—In the fourth round, Quillin started reverting to the jab to set up his bigger punches, giving Zerafa another wrinkle to think about.
—Come Round 5, Zerafa decided to mix it up with Quillin as they both started swinging wildly. Bad idea. Quillin popped a right directly to Zerafa’s nose that dropped the Australian, who didn’t even attempt to get up and was taken out of the ring on a stretcher.
Peter Quillin came in as the heavy favorite Saturday at Foxwoods Resort Casino against up-and-comer Michael Zerafa. And he showed why with a devastating fifth-round knockout that saw the Australian challenger leave the ring on a stretcher.
Quillin was throwing power punches with abandon through the first three rounds and saw several left hooks land square, but Zerafa managed to stay on his feet.
In a tactical shift, Quillin started jabbing more in the fourth, which helped set up those power shots.
It all came to a head in the fifth when Zerafa, who fought patiently behind the jab throughout much of the fight, seemingly abandoned his game plan and went toe-to-toe with Quillin.
As the two banged away from one side of the ropes to another, Quillin blasted a right directly to Zerfa’s nose that ended the fight as convincingly as a gunshot.
Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. immediately waved it off, though Zerafa showed no signs of even attempting to get up and was taken out of the ring on a stretcher.
The fight was brought to a halt in Round 5 after a power punch from Peter Quillin saw Michael Zerafa knocked to the floor. (Suzanne Teresa / Premier Boxing Champions)
