Matthysse states case, drops Dallas with first-round KO

Dallas walked into a right hand from Lucas Matthysse in the first round of their WBC interim super lightweight title fight Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel. And, like Pacquiao against Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8, Dallas landed face-first on the canvas and was a knockout victim.

The 30-year-old Matthysse (33-2, 31 knockouts) was patient as he lined up his opponent for the early kill.

“I was waiting for an opening, and as soon as I saw it, I took it,” Matthysse said through a translator afterward. “When he threw the left, I landed the right. It wasn’t even a clean shot, but I knew when I hit him he wasn’t getting up.”

The 26-year-old Dallas (19-3-1), who was counted out by referee Robert Byrd at 2:26, said he never saw the punch that put him face-first on the canvas. He did not need further medical attention.

Some prefight controversy surfaced when Dallas’ trainer, Virgil Hunter, accused Matthysse of taking energy pills when he actually had ingested amino acids while getting his hands wrapped in the dressing room before entering the ring. Ringside physician Dr. William Berliner confirmed Matthysse’s use of Amino 4500 and that the supplement, which is available over the counter, is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ban list.

Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer said both fighters were tested before and after the fight for performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

“I was upset with what (Dallas’) trainer did,” Matthysse said. “I didn’t take anything illegal, and the drug test I take will prove that.”

He took his anger out on Dallas, and Matthysse admitted he also had a fear of failure motivating him. Had he lost, his hopes of facing WBC and WBA junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia this year would have disappeared.

“I had my future to lose had I lost this fight,” Matthysse said.

Garcia (25-0, 16 KOs) defends his belts Feb. 9 against former world champion Zab Judah (42-7, 29 KOs) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Matthysse wants the winner.

“Either,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. I just want my chance to win the world title.”

On the undercard, Jesus Soto Karass won a 10-round majority decision over Selcuk Aydin in a super welterweight bout.

The 30-year-old Soto Karass (27-8-3) was the busier fighter throughout, and judges Tim Cheatham and Robert Hoyle rewarded him by giving him the fight by the same 97-93 score. Ricardo Ocasio had it 95-95.

Soto Karass stalked the 29-year-old Aydin (23-2) throughout the fight and consistently beat him to the punch.

“I knew the third round I was going to win the fight,” Soto Karass said. “I knew I threw more shots, and he never hurt me. I think my body shots slowed him down.

“I needed a victory, and I prayed I would get this win. Now, I hope I can get a title shot.”

Also, junior middleweight Jermell Charlo remained undefeated with an impressive eighth-round knockout of Harry Joe Yorgey.

The 22-year-old Charlo (20-0, 10 KOs) was clearly superior, dropping Yorgey twice in the second round – the first time with a solid left to the chin, the second using an overhand right to the side of Yorgey’s head.

Charlo tried to take out the 35-year-old Yorgey earlier but couldn’t land the big blow. Finally, he tagged Yorgey with an overhand right to the head, and referee Kenny Bayless counted out Yorgey (25-2-1) at 1:09 of the eighth round.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.