In one of his first large leaps in competition, Light Heavyweight contender and Staten Island native Marcus Browne laid a massive beating upon challenger Thomas Williams Jr. (20-3, 14 KO) to start off the night at Xavier's Cintas Center located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The bout began with a soft feeling-out frame featuring Browne (19-0, 14 KO) using his jab to keep Williams at bay, however the action swiftly escalated in the 2nd round, when the New York native caught the his foe with a hard straight right that sent him to a knee. Unfortunately, that was not enough for Browne, as he rapidly connected with a left hook to the back of Williams' head very blatantly after being down, sending the raucous crowd into a frenzy. "I didn't see his gloves, I'm sorry, I wasn't being dirty" claimed Browne after the fight, citing that he thought Williams was simply crouched but not all the way on the canvas.
After applying a 10 count, the referee accurately deducted a point from Browne's total and allotted his opponent the standard 5 minutes to recover, although it became immediately apparent that Williams was not the same fighter from this point forward. Another counter right hook in the 4th landed Williams flat on his back for a second time. Always a warrior in the ring, he was able to beat the count, but looked completey lost as he gathered himself briefly, all the while finding no answers for the continued onslaught of the 26 year old Browne.
Although unable to connect on any finishing shots in the 5th round, the end was apparent, and took less than a minute to come to a reality in the 6th. The rising prospect landed a beautiful right hook straight on the jaw of Williams, crushing him to the canvas. There was no attempt to rise this time, as he quickly looked towards his corner and gestured towards his jaw citing a severe injury.
Browne not only improved his undefeated record, but in the process gained a much needed big-name victory for his resume. This allows some form of credibility in him calling out lineal Light Heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, who knocked out Williams Jr. in 4 rounds this past July, immediately after the fight. "Just give me my chance", Browne pleaded to the Canadian WBC champion, "I want that strap". Browne is certainly well on his way to earning a shot in the near future. If Stevenson is unwilling to use a voluntary defense, which has become a consistent theme, Browne plans to work his way towards earning a mandatory status or landing other large fights within the loaded division.
