Teremoana Teremoana made it out of Round 1 for the first time in nine fights — but he didn’t need too much longer.
Teremoana knocked out DeAndre Savage in Round 2 on Wednesday at The Star on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Advertisement
He used the opener to break Savage down with his jab and try and find a home for his trademark right hand, which he had little difficulty doing. Savage’s defense was non-existent, and Teremoana got through with multiple rights and a combination late in the round. The American was unable to connect with a shot of any significance.
Just 44 seconds into Round 2, Teremoana landed a crushing right on the side of Savage’s head. A noticeably uncomfortable look appeared on Savage’s face after the shot connected. He held and tried to weather the storm, but it took just one more right hand, this time through the middle, for the American to take a knee.
Savage chose not to beat the count, handing Teremoana another early KO victory.
The fight was Teremoana’s first main-event slot, and it featured on Fox Sports in Australia to showcase the heavyweight giant to a mass audience.
Advertisement
Teremoana (12-0, 12 KOs), a 2024 Olympian, has never gone past two rounds as a professional. Wednesday’s fight was supposed to mark a step-up in opposition for the 6’6″ giant, but it proved to be as straightforward as all of his other pro fights.
Savage (11-2, 11 KOs) entered the fight with a 100% KO-to-win record, having only suffered one defeat, a 10-round decision loss to Brandon Moore in September 2025.
Teremoana’s next fight could land on the undercard of the yet-to-be-announced Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury mega-fight, according to both Teremoana and his promoter, Eddie Hearn.
In the night’s co-feature, Michael Zerafa returned to winning ways with an eighth-round TKO over Alejandro Ortiz.
Advertisement
Zerafa (35-5, 23 KOs), making his debut for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, was fighting for the first time since his infamous no-contest with Nikita Tszyu in January.
Zerafa was labeled a quitter by many in Australia after the Tszyu bout because he claimed he could not see following an accidental clash of heads in Round 3, even while the damage was almost invisible on Zerafa’s face.
Ortiz (26-2, 25 KOs) entered the bout with an impressive KO streak and just one loss to his name, although those stats were not reflective of his ability at all. In reality, Ortiz was overmatched, and it was a comfortable night for Zerafa, who could be headed for a clash with Tony Harrison next.
Main card
Heavyweight: Teremoana Teremoana def. DeAndre Savage via 2nd-round KO
Advertisement
Middleweight: Michael Zerafa def. Alejandro Ortiz via 8th-round TKO
Flyweight: Jasmine Parr def. Jemma Peart via unanimous decision (80-72 x 3)
Super middleweight: Jack Bowen def. Mielifeier Dalielibieke via 7th-round TKO
Light heavyweight: Omar El-Abdallah def. Jordan Towns via third-round TKO
Read the full article here