Decarie Shows Power, Stops Perez In Round Six, on HBO

In the TV opener to HBO's Boxing After Dark, which unfolded at Foxwoods casino in Connecticut, Antonin Decarie took on Alex Perez, in a contender versus prospect looking to make a leap to contender clash.

Decarie landed a sharp right on the lefty Perez late in round two. The taller Perez showed a slow jab, which didn't help him use that height and reach edge to his advantage. The 30-year-old Jersey welter looked less seasoned than his Canadian counterpart early on. The 29-year-old Decarie, 26-1 entering, traded in the fourth, but generally stayed smart, stayed composed, remembered to keep his guard up. Supposedly no bomber, with just 7 stops in 27 outings, the Quebecer fought as you would expect someone without game-changing power to do so: he accumulated points by boxing in a technically adept fashion.

In round six, Perez hit the deck. A left hook hurt him bad, and a right follow sent him on his butt. He was up, with 20 seconds left, and then was defenseless on the ropes, while Decarie took free shots. One mean right, and another, and then the ref halted it. There were six seconds left in the round. Decarie went 110-229, to 56-313 for the loser. Decarie landed 66% of his power shots.