LAS VEGAS – Chantelle Cameron was simply too big, too young and too strong for Melissa Hernandez on Saturday night.

England’s Cameron spent a lot of their 140-pound title fight hitting Hernandez with hard, unanswered shots. The 41-year-old Hernandez didn’t appear hurt, however, when referee Celestino Ruiz stepped between them to stop their scheduled 10-round title fight at 1:38 of the fifth round on the Devin Haney-Jorge Linares undercard at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.

The unbeaten Cameron (14-0, 8 KOs), who’s 11 years younger than her opponent, made the first defense of the WBC women’s super lightweight title. Puerto Rico’s Hernandez (23-8-3, 7 KOs), a former WBC featherweight champion, lost by technical knockout for just the second time in 15 years as a pro.

The round before their fight was stopped, Ruiz credited Cameron with a knockdown with about 35 seconds to go in the fourth round, when Hernandez fell into the ropes as Cameron threw various punches at her. Hernandez didn’t think it should’ve counted as a knockdown and engaged Cameron when the action resumed.

Cameron continued to blast her with power punches as Hernandez backed into the ropes.  

Cameron’s right hand knocked Hernandez off balance and into the ropes barely 30 seconds into the third round.

Hernandez took less punishment in the second round than she absorbed during the first round, but Cameron out-landed her in that round as well.

Cameron caught Hernandez with an array of right hands in the opening minute of the fight. It was already clear by then that Cameron was too strong for her shorter, older opponent.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.