Otto Wallin made a strong impression. Travis Kauffman might be finished as a fighter.
Wallin outboxed and outworked Kauffman for four-plus rounds and stopped him in the fifth after Kauffman injured his left shoulder on the David Benavidez-Roamer Alexis Angulo card Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.
Wallin (21-1, 14 KOs) had hoped to stage an impressive performance to build on the momentum he established by giving heavyweight champ Tyson Fury trouble in a losing cause last September. And he succeeded.
The left-handed Swede fought beautifully behind his right jab, which set up power shots and allowed him to control the fight. Kauffman (32-4, 23 KOs) had some success when he managed to get inside, particularly when he went to the body. However, he had trouble getting past Wallin’s long punches and coping with his movement.
Wallin was well ahead on the cards when Kauffman appeared to injure the same shoulder on which he recently had surgery. He tried to fight with one arm but referee Michael Ortega decided he couldn’t defend himself and stopped the fight.
The official time was 2:32 of the fifth.
The CompuBox numbers reflect Wallin’s dominance. He landed 114 of 293 punches, Kauffman only 31 of 163. Wallin landed 61 jabs and 53 of 98 power shots (54%).
With the victory, Wallin strengthened his position as a player in the heavyweight division. Kauffman had said he would retire if he lost.