Klitschko ends Johnson with TKO

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Heavyweight contender Vitali Klitschko wasted no time Saturday night as he posted a second-round knockout of Kirk Johnson at Madison Square Garden.

Klitschko (33-2, 32 KOs) dropped Johnson twice in the second round before the fight was stopped with six seconds remaining.

In front of 10,823 fans who braved the snow that has plagued the area the last two days, Klitschko fought like a man on a mission.

Johnson came out firing in the first round, but the height differential and overall physical makeup of the 6-8 Klitschko was too much to overcome. Klitschko overpowered Johnson with a barrage of punches for first knockdown with less than a minute remaining in the second.

Klitschko later split the gloves of Johnson with a right hand. As the Canadian crumbled to the canvas, referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. stopped the fight.

Johnson, who weighed a career-high 260 pounds, fell to 34-2-1.