Bryan Lua knocked out Rolando Solis in dramatic fashion Saturday at the SaveMart Center in Fresno, California, before the DAZN-streamed action began on the card featuring headliners Jose Ramirez and Rances Barthelemy in a welterweight showdown.
Lua (9-0, 4 KOs), of Madera, California, was coming off a 34-month layoff but came out sharp and mean, with a left hook thrown with bad intention. He pounced quickly on Solis (4-5-1, 3 KOs), of Cancun, Mexico, in the first round, sending him to the canvas on a right hand. Fans exploded in cheers for the local fighter, who appeared eager to land a show-stopping blow.
Lua got his wish, despite taking a few shots in the process, when he sent Solis to the canvas face-first on a sequence of punches – a right hand being the most damning of the bunch.
Referee Jack Reiss waved the fight off upon Solis hitting the canvas. The time of the stoppage was 2:08 in the first.
Bantamweight Figo Ramirez Gonzalez, of Dallas, stopped Alejandro Robles, from nearby Modesto, California, at the end of the third round.
Gonzalez (6-0, 3 KOs), who had Robert Garcia as his head trainer, showed skill and toughness in the first two rounds. The third saw a distinct change: Gonzalez began to show angles and land clean punches on Robles (0-3). Before the start of the fourth round, Robles’ corner informed referee Ed Collantes that the fight shouldn’t continue.
The bout was ruled a technical knockout win for Gonzalez, with a time of stoppage at 3:00 in the third.
Local favorite and top prospect Jennah Creason, of Visalia, California, was scheduled to fight on the card, but her fight fell through at the last moment. Creason was ringside from the opening bell in support of the event.