It remains to be seen if Cain Sandoval will have a career as successful as that of either Ryan Garcia or Frank Martin, but he now has one thing in common with both: he has a knockout win over Romero Duno.

The undefeated junior welterweight had to work for his victory, however, ending the bout with a mouse under his left eye courtesy of Duno's right hand. But the 22-year-old Sandoval remained calm and focused throughout Saturday's fight at the Chumash Resort and Casino in Santa Ynez, California, gradually shifting through the gears before securing the win with a body punch in the sixth round.

Duno probably won the first round, courtesy of some impressive right hands, but in the second, Sandoval (14-0, 12 KOs) started to find his range and timing, landing strong hooks and backing Duno up with left-rights and a big right hand. An uppercut to the body was followed by a hook as the young prospect looked to take control.

However, Duno (26-5, 20 KOs) would not be denied, and continued to land right hands in the third, even as Sandoval chipped away with lefts and rights.

By the fourth, Sandoval's eye was looking the worse for wear, but he showed an impressive variety of punches, switching from body to head and back again.

A right hand from Duno was met by a left hook from Sandoval in the fifth, the younger man now finding a home for more punishing punches. A pair of hybrid left hook-uppercuts snapped back Duno's head as the fight gradually sapped from the Filipino. In the sixth, Sandoval continued to show a variety of punches as he backed his opponent against the ropes repeatedly, but it was a digging right hand to the solar plexus that finished the fight, dropping Duno to his hands and knees, where he remained as referee Gerard White counted to 10.

“I got hit a little bit. We got the knockout, but I'm not happy with the performance,” said Sandoval afterward. “I did a good job, but there's a lot to work on.” Despite getting tagged enough that promoter Tom Loeffler gently chided him afterward that “you might need to keep your left hand a little higher,” Sandoval said he was at no stage hurt.

“I didn't feel his power at all,” he said. “I'm ready for bigger fights.”

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.