Prospects improve unbeaten records on Bradley-Provodnikov undercard

CARSON, Calif. – A group of promising up-and-comers, including junior featherweight prospect Jesse Magdaleno and heavyweight hopeful Andy Ruiz, scored knockouts to remain unbeaten on the undercard of the Tim Bradley-Ruslan Prodnikov fight on Saturday at The Home Depot Center.

In the final non-televised bout of the Top Rank-promoted card before the HBO broadcast began, 2012 Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez forced referee Tony Crebs to stop his bout with Carlos Gonzalez in the fourth round of a scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

Valdez (4-0, 3 knockouts) applied relentless pressure to the journeyman, pinning Gonzalez to the ropes where he landed hard shots to the body and head. Gonzalez (1-3), of Bell, Calif., was game but overmatched and too darn tough for his own good. He never went down but was taking too many punches.

Ruiz (18-0, 12 KOs) scored an easy first-round stoppage of Missouri journeyman Matthew Greer. The chubby Mexicali, Mexico native with quick hands scored three knockdowns – the first two courtesy of a vicious body attack – en route to the TKO a few seconds before the bell.

The chopping right hand from Ruiz that sent Greer (15-10, 13 KOs) down for the third time convinced referee Jack Reiss to wave the mismatch off at 2:53 of the round.

Magdaleno, a talented southpaw from Las Vegas, stopped experienced veteran Carlos Fulgencio 45 seconds into the third round of a scheduled eight-round bout. Magdaleno (14-0, 10 KOs) dropped Fulgencio (18-10-1, 12 KOs) in each round. He was clearly gunning for the stoppage from the opening bell.

Another popular junior featherweight prospect, Gabino Saenz, carried a similar mentality into his fight, which ended suddenly in the second round of a scheduled six-round bout when the Indio, Calif., native landed a devastating overhand right to capable Cesar Valenzuela.

Saenz (9-0-1, 8 KOs) roughed up the taller, rangier boxer on the inside in the first round, which angered the Phoenix native enough to engage with him in the second round. Big mistake. Saenz dropped Valenzuela (4-2-1, 2 KOs) with a hook before flattening the lanky boxer with a perfect overhand right. Crebs waved the fight off without a count.

Lightweight slugger Ramon Valadez, once thought of as a potential prospect, was upset by journeyman Victor Sanchez, who scored a shocking first-round knockout of the popular East L.A. fighter.

Valadez (11-4, 6 KOs) boxed well until getting clipped and dropped by a left hook midway through the opening round. He was not able to recover and was soon badly rocked against the ropes. Reiss did the right thing by stepping in and stopping the bout at 2:39 of the round. Sanchez, of Houston, improved to 4-5-1.

Photo: Chris Farina-Top Rank