Jessica McCaskill Stops Kandi Wyatt in Seven in Las Vegas

By David A. Avila

Welterweight world champion Jessica McCaskill overpowered Canada’s Kandi Wyatt to win by technical knockout and show fans and her new promoter on Saturday why she’s undisputed and among the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

In her first performance under new promoter McCaskill (11-2, 4 KOs) displayed her brutal fighting skills in stopping last-minute replacement Wyatt (10-4, 3 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She needed less than a month to prepare.

And less than a week to prepare for Wyatt who replaced Argentina’s Victoria Bustos who was denied a visa due to vaccination problems.

“All fighters hate waiting,” said McCaskill about fighting quickly after singing a new deal with Matchroom Boxing and about facing an unknown fighter with less than a week’s notice.

McCaskill wasted no time in charging forward with blows like a V-8 engine and all pistons pumping. Wyatt tried to keep up but did not have the bob and weave style the champion utilizes and was smacked with a bevy of head-snapping blows. A right cross nearly chopped Wyatt in half but she withstood the blow.

The Canadian fighter adapted to McCaskill’s assaults and was able to land a few counters in between the champions combinations. But despite connecting Wyatt’s blows were not nearly equal to the incoming blasts from McCaskill.

Somehow Wyatt survived again.

In between rounds trainer/manager Rick Ramos was advising McCaskill to work the body to set up the openings for the head.

Very little changed for the remainder of the fight with McCaskill blast away sometimes sacrificing defense and a solid stance to seek the knockout. In the fourth round the champion fired off four consecutive right hand bombs with all connecting. In the fifth it was five body shots in-a-row by McCaskill. In the sixth it was a vicious six-punch combination.

The referee urged Wyatt to show something.

McCaskill said she was aware of the referee’s warnings and had actually felt the fight might have been stopped earlier.

“She was tough as balls,” said McCaskill of Wyatt. “She can really take some shots.”

As the seventh round commenced Wyatt was warned again about showing something against McCaskill’s onslaughts. The round began and McCaskill connected immediately with a right cross and referee Celestino Ruiz immediately stopped the fight 19 seconds into the seventh round. McCaskill is declared the winner by technical knockout and retains the IBF, IBO, WBO, WBA and WBC titles.

“I think it was the right call,” said McCaskill of the stoppage.

McCaskill said she is ready to immediately face the original scheduled foe Victoria Bustos next.

“No days off,” she said.

(Photo by Ed Muholland/Matchroom Boxing)