WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan defended his title for the ninth time Tuesday, stopping Nestor Rocha of the United States with a technical knockout in the first round.
The 28-year-old Hasegawa sent Rocha to the canvas twice before the referee stopped the bout after 2 minutes, 28 seconds.
Hasegawa improved to 27-2, 11 by knockout. The 26-year-old Rocha, who was bidding for his first world title, dropped to 21-2 (7 KOs).
WBA minimumweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua defeated Japan's Katsunari Takayama with a unanimous decision in an earlier bout to retain his title.
