Frank Warren’s newest prospect makes a name for himself in Riyadh Season’s first ever fight Stateside

SANTA MONICA — Queensberry Promotions founder Frank Warren is showing he still has an eye for talent as his company’s newest signing, Nathan Lugo, scored a nasty second-round stoppage win Wednesday on Santa Monica’s pier in Los Angeles County, California.

After walking to the ring dressed as Deadpool, Lugo’s super middleweight fight against Ray Corona was the first-ever Riyadh Season event in the United States, and the 20-year-old made it one to remember as the opening round was painful, bruising, and bloody.

Lugo threw most of his shots with bad intentions from his stocky frame, hammered Corona with six-punch combinations, and sent him back to his corner at the end of the round bleeding from his mouth and nose.

With a thudding jab that he rammed into Corona’s jaw, brutal body shots that his opponent will feel for days to come, and clubbing shots to the head, Lugo appeared keen to close the show early — yet, that exuberance came at a slight cost, as he’d leave himself open to counter shots, even though he comfortably won the opener.

Corona tried to fight his way out of trouble by starting the second round hard and fast but failed to keep a guard that was strong enough to block Lugo’s best shots.

Instead, Lugo punched his way between Corona’s gloves, kept cracking him with hooks, and, after continued pressure, one hard right hand in a three-punch sequence was enough for referee Rudy Barragan to wave the contest off for good. It was over.

“Great stoppage win by Nathan Lugo,” said Warren on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “Look forward to watching him develop!”

Elsewhere on the three-fight card which Boxing News attended midweek, was Shakhram Giyasov’s split decision win over Miguel Parra, and Marc Castro’s victory against George Acosta via technical decision.

The fights aired for free on Matchroom Boxing and DAZN’s YouTube channels.