[Source: 1News]
New Zealander Junior Fa has been stopped in the seventh round on the undercard of the Day of Reckoning boxing extravaganza in Saudi Arabia this morning.
After a slow start, Cuban American Frank Sanchez had too much poise and power in the first fight of a card featuring fellow heavyweights Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin and Kiwi Joseph Parker v Deontay Wilder as co-main events in Riyadh.
Inactive for 14 months, the 34-year-old Fa, who had been training with Wilder in Alabama, looked comfortable early against Sanchez.
He held the centre of the ring and kept his distance well with his reach advantage.
He jabbed well and grew in confidence to the point where he landed with the right hand in the sixth round but paid the price when Sanchez, an excellent counter puncher, hit Fa flush with his own right hand and sent him crashing to the canvas.
Fa did well to get up and was saved by the bell, but was knocked down twice in the seventh, the first time via an excellent five-punch combination from Sanchez. The referee called off the fight after the second knockdown with 18 seconds left in the round.
It was the third defeat in four fights for the Aucklander.
