Afolabi stops Smith in third round

IBO cruiserweight champion Ola Afolabi defended his title on Saturday, defeating Anthony Caputo Smith with a third round knockout in their 10-round scheduled bout at the Madison Square Garden in New York .

Smith (15-4,10) was a late replacement for Poland ’s Pawel Kolodziej, who withdrew from the fight.

Afolabi (21-3-4, 10 KOs) wasted no time in showing Smith who the tougher fighter was as he repeatedly landed vicious hooks and right uppercuts to American’s head and body.

Afolabi hurt Smith in the second round and knocked him down twice in the third.

By the midway point of the second round, Smith’s face was reddened by the number of punches that landed and he had a cut over his left eye. It got worse for Smith as midway through the third round, he was dropped by a left hook to the head.

To his credit, Smith fought back, but the rally was short-lived as he was knocked down again, courtesy of a left-right combination to the head. After the bell sounded, the ringside physician told referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout to prevent Smith from receiving further punishment.