Undefeated, hard-hitting heavyweight Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter kicked off the Fourth of July weekend with a bang as he impressively tamed "The Bull," knocking out Taurus Sykes at 2:07 of the second round Saturday on SHOWTIME. The bout at the Reno Events Center was promoted by Duva Boxing and aired at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Peter (24-0, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Akwaibom, Nigeria, lived up to his billing as the division’s most prolific young slugger as he turned what figured to be his toughest test into yet another landslide victory. It was the eighth time the promising Peter has flattened an opponent in the second round and the 15th time he has stopped a foe inside two.

By sending Sykes into dreamland, "The Nigerian Nightmare," who entered the ring as the United States Boxing Association/North American Boxing Federation (USBA/NABF) champion, added the North American Boxing Association (NABA) belt to his collection. After he backed Sykes into the ropes, Peter staggered and hurt him with a right hand at about the 1:40 mark of the second. A pulverizing puncher with either mitt, Peter followed with a barrage of overhand rights and solid left hooks that dropped Sykes, prompting the referee to stop the match shortly thereafter.

Sykes (23-2-1, six KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., was making his first start since capturing the vacant NABA title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Friday Ahunanya on March 11, 2005. Despite losing the first session Saturday, he boxed well enough as he kept most of the action at center ring. Sykes quit jabbing in the second round, however, and allowed Peter to corner him. Moments later he got caught, and that was that.

Click to read more boxing articles by Boxing Press

Discuss in Boxing Forum

---

Related Boxing Articles...

• Peter-Diaz Added to Mayweather Card.

  An intriguing heavyweight attraction will play the chief support role to the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Henry Bruseles fight later this month in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, USA. Knockout artist >
  
  

• Peter-Sykes Quotes.

  SAM PETER. "I am motivated for all my fights, but this guy talks so much, I am even more motivated. I will take great pleasure in closing his mouth >
  
  

• Boxing World Raves About Samuel Peter.

  Promoted by Duva Boxing, the Nigerian-born Peter scored his second straight knockout victory on the worldwide television stage when he convincingly disposed of crafty Cuban Yanqui Diaz in Saturday night's >
  
  

• Hennessy Boxing: McDermott Out, Sosnowski In vs. Danny Williams November 8

  Danny Williams will be joint top of an explosive bill that promises fireworks when he collides with Albert Sosnowski in an international heavyweight bout at the York Hall in Bethnal >
  
  

• Samuel Peter vs. Wladimir Klitschko Possible?

  Further to the breaking news that heavyweight contender Samuel Peter was placed in a final eliminator for the WBC heavyweight championship, it has also been revealed that Peter will have >
  
  

• Peter Aims for Klitschko.

  USBA and NABF heavyweight champion and undefeated contender Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter is seeking to get himself in the big title picture later this year. With the current status >
  
  

• Wladimir Klitschko: ”Bring on Samuel Peter!”

  If Samuel Peter is looking for a fight, Wladimir Klitschko is ready and willing to oblige him. "Peter has challenged me to a fight," the former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion >
  
  

• Peter-Sykes This Week.

  Showtime will present a heavyweight collision this week as undefeated contender Samuel Peter comes up against once beaten contender Taurus Sykes. It's "The Bull" versus "The Nigerian Nightmare" in what >
  
  

• Round by Round: Samuel Peter vs. Yanqui Diaz.

  Tonight in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, the heavyweight contest between Samuel Peter and Yanqui Diaz ended in the fifth round when Diaz was put down for the fifth >
  
  

• Sykes and Peter Weigh in.

  Ahead of their clash happening tonight at the Events Center in Reno, heavyweight contenders Samuel Peter and Taurus Sykes weighed in. Peter, coming off a third round technical knockout of >
  
  

---