By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Jarrett Hurd didn’t expect Austin Trout to keep his word Saturday night.

Trout told Hurd numerous times that he would stand and trade with him in their IBF junior middleweight title bout, but Hurd didn’t believe him. Hurd figured the smaller southpaw would do his best to box his way to a second world title, which Hurd prevented him from doing by stopping Trout following the 10th round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“I’m definitely surprised,” Hurd said early Sunday morning. “He told me that he was gonna stand toe-to-toe and go to war with me. I didn’t believe it. I thought that was just something to try to throw me off my game plan, or something like that. But he actually stood and went toe-to-toe with me. It definitely surprised me.”

Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs), of Accokeek, Maryland, wasn’t surprised Trout was able to last as long as he did during their scheduled 12-round title fight. Trout (30-4, 17 KOs) was effective enough against the bigger, stronger Hurd to lead on two of three scorecards through seven rounds (67-66, 67-66, 66-67).

The 6-feet-1 Hurd picked up the pace after suffering a cut in the seventh round, though, and eventually wore down Trout.

He hurt Trout in the seventh, eighth and 10th rounds. By the end of the ninth round, Trout’s right eye was almost swollen shut.

After the 10th round, a ringside physician examined a beaten, exhausted Trout in his corner and instructed referee Eddie Claudio to stop the fight.

“Austin Trout was able to get off the canvas and win a fight,” Hurd said, referencing his unanimous-decision victory over Daniel Dawson in August 2014. “He has been [put] down by guys and they wasn’t able to finish him. So I’m not really surprised [he lasted as long as he did]. It did seem like he was out on his feet, and we ended up getting the stoppage in the corner. But I was surprised he didn’t go down.”

The 27-year-old Hurd became the first fighter to beat Trout by knockout or technical knockout in his 12-year pro career. The 32-year-old Trout’s three previous losses all were 12-round unanimous decisions to Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo.

“I couldn’t be any prouder, man,” Hurd said. “I said I was gonna do what I did and I actually said in the 10th round. And that’s what happened.”

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