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Australian light heavyweight prospect Steve Lovett kept his perfect record with a sixth round stoppage of journeyman Frank Ciampa in Hobart, Tasmania, improving to 5-0 with all wins coming by way of stoppage.
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Note on live stream: WBCboxing.tv was showing the fights free and apparently legal, but the feed had to be shut down. Publicist Mario Serrano had this for everyone:
“Because the WBC opened up the signal to the world against the agreement made with GSP, we were forced to cut the free feed to the US and WBC.”
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Update (4:53 a.m. EST): The WBCboxing.tv live stream is back on in the United States. That's also from Mario Serrano, so it's legit.
Update (5:32 a.m. EST): The WBC feed is "dead for good," according to Mario, via Gary Shaw. The Premier Sports feed in the UK -- a channel that paid to air these fights, mind you -- was cut off by the Aussie promoters because of internet streams being made available via their channel. So basically, you're not going to see this fight. Let me make clear: If there had been a $10 internet PPV available to US fight fans, I would have bought it, I would have "promoted" it on our site, and I would have been thrilled to have the option. I know that wouldn't sell a lot, but it's more than was made on US TV for this fight anyway, since the current total is $0.
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Lovett, 26, felt the 34-year-old veteran out in the first round, and by the third was landing telling blows on Ciampa, mainly a left hook which became his top weapon in the fight. The young fighter boxed confidently and looked for the knockout without pressing.
In the fourth round, Lovett started landing his right hand at range, busting Ciampa's nose and starting a steady flow of blood, to go along with both eyes marking up. It was the sixth and round that saw the referee's hand forced, as Lovett called Ciampa on for a fight, which the veteran obliged. One check hook from Lovett wobbled Ciampa, and another one sent him awkwardly tumbling to the mat moments later.
When Ciampa got back up, he ate a right hand, and the referee stopped the bout at 1:29.
In previous bouts, light heavyweight Aaron Lai (3-0, 2 KO) knocked out Judd Cornwall (0-2) in the first round, and super featherweight Corey McConnell improved to 8-0-1 with a six-round decision win over Roberto Lerio (13-14-1, 5 KO). All of McConnell's wins have come by decision.