Carlos Gongora stops Christopher Pearson in eighth round

Ecuador's Carlos Gongora proved that his title-winning upset of the heavily favoured Ali Akhmedov in December was no fluke when he made the first defence of his IBO world super-middleweight title against Christopher Pearson from Selma, Texas on the Demetrius Andrade vs Liam Williams undercard at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The battle of southpaws saw Gongora show his better boxing abilities as he used his slight advantages in height and reach to land his jab and long left hands while Pearson looked hesitant throughout.

This was a good showcase for the 31-year-old Gongora but Pearson failed to make the most of his chance and might regret his lacklustre showing.

The fight changed after seven one-sided rounds when Pearson landed his best shot of the night, a good counter left that prompted Gongora to come inside and let his hands go. The result was instant as he soon dropped Pearson with a left hook that landed on Pearson's damaged left eye.