ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Duane Thomas of Detroit scored an eight-round technical knockout Thursday night over Nino Gonzalez of Bayonne, N.J., to win the vacant United States Boxing Association junior middleweight title.
Thomas scored two knockdowns in the final round, each the result of a straight right hand.
After the second knockdown, referee Vinnie Rainone stopped the bout at 2:34. The knockout, Thomas' 13th, improved his record to 19-1.
Thomas, 152, is ranked 15th by the WBC. Gonzalez, 150 , who had never been stopped before, dropped to 28-5.
The title was vacated in March when Gary Guiden relinquished his crown to move up to the middleweight class.
In a welterweight bout, Philadelphia's Robert Hines remained undefeated when he stopped Eddie Campbell of New York in the third round. Hines is 13-0 with nine knockouts.
