As far as television debuts go, this one was forgettable.
Tarpon Springs bantamweight Pete Frissina, who waited 31 fights to get on TV, lasted all of 3 minutes, 22 seconds before Rafael Marquez scored a second-round TKO Saturday at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix.
Marquez (31-3, 28 KOs) retained his IBF championship, and he did so in impressive fashion.
Frissina, who lost for the first time since 1998, made it easy for the champ, coming right at him. Marquez had little trouble finding his targets, knocking Frissina down twice in the first round and peppering him with power punches before referee Raul Caiz Jr. stopped it 22 seconds into the second round.
"I saw he was coming and pressuring me," Marquez said.
"I knew I had to stop him."
Frissina (27-4-1, 15 KOs) landed more punches according to CompuBox, but his blows had no effect on Marquez, who used two vicious straight right hands both times to put his opponent on the canvas in the opening round.
Both fighters came out aggressively with Frissina twice landing hard shots to Marquez's head in the first minute.
With a minute left in the first round, Marquez staggered and dropped Frissina with a powerful left-right-right combination to the head.
Marquez again knocked Frissina down with 16 seconds left in the round, this time with a left-left-right combination.
The ringside doctor was called in between rounds to check Frissina, who was asked what city he was in and what day it was.
Satisfied after he answered both of the questions, the doctor sent Frissina out for the second round.
Throwing punches wildly, Frissina was wide open for a nasty left jab, followed by a straight right that sent him back into the ropes.
Marquez walked in and squarely landed another right before Caiz Jr. saved him.
The event was the first put on by Top Rank and president Bob Arum since Top Rank's Las Vegas offices were raided by FBI agents Jan. 6 amid rumors of fight fixing.
Arum refused to answer questions about the investigation.
- Staff writer John C. Cotey and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
