Former Olympian Andre Berto (13-0, 11 KOs), one of the sport's elite prospects, hammered Sammy Sparkman (18-15-1) until the fight was stopped at 2:50 of the second round.
Berto dropped Sparkman with a huge right in the second round, and although he made it to his feet, he was clearly unsteady. The fight continued, however, until
Berto landed a series of flush shots until referee Bill Clancy stopped it.
Berto, a Winter Haven, Fla., resident, came up through the U.S. amateur system but represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics.
That Sparkman lost should come as no surprise. He has made a career of fighting and losing to top fighters on their way up, including Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams and Cory Spinks