Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin has earned a shot at the WBC title after stopping Mike Perez in 91 seconds in Moscow.
A short right hand did the damage before the referee brought an abrupt halt to the contest, allowing Povetkin to move on to a likely encounter with champion Deontay Wilder.
The American knockout specialist faces Eric Molina on June 13 but if, as expected, he comes through that bout, he must make the second defence of his title against Povetkin, who has only suffered defeat at the hands of unified champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Both Wilder and Povetkin possess significant financial backing, meaning that their fight could take place in either the United States or Russia.
