Cuban southpaw starlet Jadier Herrera, 16-0 (14 KOs), highlighted, underlined and scrawled rings around his potential when he stopped the gnarled but still ambitious Oliver Flores, 31-6-1 (20 KOs), in Round 3 in Liverpool.

Herrera, wearing sparkly black shorts, attempted to take control early but his experienced foe, chosen as the opponent to teach the youngster some lessons, refused to give ground in ring center. However, by the end of the opening round there were ominous signs for the 33-year-old as Herrera’s jab started to find the target.

Some range-finding fencing ensued in Round 2 before the end came, suddenly, at the beginning of the next session.

A right hook whipped home, a sharp left quickly hit the target before Herrera – still only 22 years old – plunged a right hand into the stomach of Flores and, as the Nicaraguan instinctively sought shelter on the canvas, the wind left his lungs instantly. It was all over after 30 seconds of the third.

Walter Fury, the cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, bossed his four-rounder with 126-fight veteran Dale Arrowsmith. Fury, sporting bleach blonde hair and a thick black beard, pinged the jab from a southpaw stance early on as Arrowsmith chose to stay back and see what his opponent had to offer.

Lancaster, England’s Fury, now 2-0, largely controlled the pace, switching stances and learning on the job, as Arrowsmith – a journeyman who is employed to survive – only sporadically attacked.

At the end of four, the score in Fury’s favor was a somewhat predictable 40-36 from referee Mark Lyson.