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MANCHESTER, England – Talented British boxer-puncher Scott Quigg scored a stunning second-round stoppage of former titleholder Kiko Martinez on Saturday.

Quigg (31-0-2, 23 knockouts), rated No. 3 by THE RING at 122 pounds, floored the Spaniard in the second with a right uppercut and a sustained two-fisted burst, punctuated by another strong right that forced the referee’s intervention. The official time of the stoppage was 1:04 of Round 2.

“We tested his power in the first round,” said Quigg. “We knew that he would be getting confident in the second and set him up for a shot (the initial uppercut) that we’ve been working on all the way through camp.”

Quigg has struggled to secure the really big fights at junior featherweight. The tug of war between Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn and Carl Frampton’s manager, Barry McGuigan, has been endless and the only ones losing out are the fans. Both fighters appear eager for the showdown to take place but politics and business have prevented it from happening for over two years.

Putting that to one side, this was a career best win for Quigg and the quality of the finish was world class.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said, “I don’t think there is a junior featherweight in the world who can handle Scott Quigg’s power. Everyone wants to see the Carl Frampton fight and there are people saying that Quigg doesn’t have fans. I think the atmosphere in the arena proves that he has plenty of fans.”

Quigg, who retained what the WBA calls it’s “regular” 122-pound title, weighed in officially at 121.8 pounds with Martinez (32-6, 24 KOs) weighing in at 121.6.

[Editor’s Note: THE RING only recognizes Guillermo Rigondeaux as WBA titleholder at junior featherweight]

Tom Gray is a member of the British Boxing Writers’ Association and has contributed to various publications. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing