By Cliff Rold

34-year old former lightweight title challenger Raymundo Beltran (30-7-1, 18 KO) returned from a year off after a failed drug test on Saturday night at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas, with a second round knockout of 23-year old Ivan Najera (16-3, 8 KO). Mexico’s Beltran, 137, of Phoenix, Arizona, nearly dropped Najera, 138, of San Antonio, Texas, in the first but needed one more round to get it done. It was Najera’s second stoppage defeat.

The referee was Jon Schorle.

They wasted little time getting into a fight. Working early at close quarters, Najera was taking the fight to Beltran. The veteran made him pay, rocking and nearly dropping Najera with a hook. At the bell to end the first, they touched gloves in respect for each other’s efforts.

Najera couldn’t avoid the floor for another three minutes. While he did his best to keep Beltran honest, he couldn’t stop the stream of leather headed his way. Mixing it up to the head and the body, Beltran found a closing touch in the waning seconds of the round. He stunned Najera on the ropes and then landed a succession of hard lefts to send Najera to the floor. Schorle stopped the punishment at 2:58 of round two.

Beltran wins his first fight since testing positive for a PED after what was initially a stoppage win over former titlist Takahiro Ao in May 2015. The result was reversed to a “No Decision.”

In the televised opener, 21-year old undefeated welterweight Alex Saucedo (22-0, 14 KO), 142 ¼, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, picked up a blue collar eight-round decision over 36-year old journeyman Claudinei Lacerda (17-15-1, 12 KO), 142 ½, of Sombrio, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Saucedo scored a knockdown in the fourth but couldn’t find a finishing touch. Instead he settled for a steady outworking of the brave but outgunned Lacerda. Scores were academic at 80-71 and 79-72 twice. The referee was Mark Calo-Oy..

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com