From the archive · March 3, 1990
Mark Breland vs Lloyd Honeyghan
WBA World Welterweight Title · Wembley Arena, London, England
Record 26-1-1 · 146½ lb
Record 34-2-0 · 147 lb

The fight
In what was billed as one of the biggest fights of 1990, Mark Breland defended his WBA World Welterweight title against Lloyd Honeyghan at the Wembley Arena in London on March 3rd. Breland, a highly decorated amateur with a 111-1 record, and a professional record of 26-1-1, came into the fight as a huge favourite.
The fight started off well for Breland, who used his superior reach and speed to control the early rounds. Honeyghan, a tough and determined fighter, managed to land some solid shots on Breland, but it was clear that he was outmatched by the champion. In the third round, Breland caught Honeyghan with a vicious left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Despite his best efforts, Honeyghan was unable to recover from the knockdown, and Breland pounced on him, unleashing a barrage of punches that forced referee Julio Cesar Alvarado to stop the fight. The official time of the stoppage was 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the third round.
The victory solidified Breland's status as one of the best welterweights in the world at the time, and he would go on to defend his title successfully two more times before losing it to Aaron Davis in 1992. Honeyghan, who had previously held the WBC and IBF welterweight titles, would continue to fight for several more years, but never again reached the heights of his earlier career.