Seldin Hammers Garcia For Big Hometown Win

-- Any fighter that now comes out of the Huntington area will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Chris Algieri, who evolved from a club fighter to regional TV regular to champion and B-side of a Manny Pacquiao promotion. 

Time will tell if a similar blueprint is applied to the career of Cletus Seldin, but the unbeaten welterweight certainly doesn't mind the extra attention.

Having previously appeared on Algieri's undercards, Seldin has developed into a draw of his own. In front of a sold-out Paramount Theatre in Huntington (Long Island), New York, the local favorite battered Johnny Garcia into submission towards the end of the fifth round of their ESPN2 Friday Night Fights headliner. 

Seldin was in control for most of the night, though perhaps dodged a bullet when Garcia was denied a knockdown call. It was the closest the visiting journeyman came to pulling off the upset, as his reward for accepting the road trip to the lion's den was a major league beating.

The fight began to get away from Garcia in round four, as Seldin applied relentless pressure. Things went completely south for the Michigan boxer in round five, as he was bloodied and under attack. Seldin repeatedly landed upstairs before forcing the referee to finally step in and halt the contest.

The official time was 2:29 of round five. 

Seldin improves to 16-0 (13KOs), having scored stoppages in each of his past four wins. Garcia falls to 19-3-1 (11KOs), now winless in his last three starts. 

Raymond Serrano overcame an early knockdown to score one of his own in outlasting Jeremy Bryan over 10 rounds Friday evening at The Paramount. 

Scores were 94-94 even, and 97-91 and 96-92 in favor of Serrano, who moves to 21-2 (9KOs) in picking up his third straight win. Bryan falls to 17-6 (7KOs), having now lost four of his last five starts.

Daniel Gonzalez scored a pair of timely knockdowns late into his swing bout with Ken Alvarez in a battle of unbeaten super lightweight prospects. Scores were 59-53 and 58-54 (twice) as the Queens-based Gonzalez (8-0-1, 3KOs) prevails. 

ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.