A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:

Saturday at Las Vegas

Vasyl Lomachenko TKO7 Nicholas Walters -- Fight recap

Retains a junior lightweight title

Records: Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs); Walters (26-1-1, 21 KOs)

Rafael's remarks: This was pure brilliance from the gifted Lomachenko, who may have only eight professional fights but might be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world as he retained his world title for the first time in stunningly one-sided fashion. In handing Jamaica's Walters, 30, a former featherweight titleholder, his first defeat, combined with a monster fifth-round knockout of Roman "Rocky" Martinez in June to win the 130-pound belt, Lomachenko is squarely in the conversation for fighter of the year honors. If he wins, he will only add to his growing legend that includes Olympic gold medals for Ukraine in 2008 and 2012 and numerous other accolades. Big-punching Walters is nicknamed "Axe Man," but it was Lomachenko who cut him down with ease using a variety of hard punches from both hands and such incredible boxing skills that Walters simply had no prayer to do anything against him.

After taking some heavy shots in the seventh round, Walters simply quit, much to the surprise of everyone, including referee Tony Weeks. Coincidentally, Walters quit 36 years and one day after Robert Duran's infamous "no mas" against Sugar Ray Leonard. It was a huge win for Lomachenko, whom Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said could meet Manny Pacquiao at a catchweight in late 2017, and a potential career-killer, at least in terms of HBO interest, for Walters.

Also on the card, welterweight contender Konstantin Ponomarev (31-0, 13 KOs), 24, of Russia, who is trained by 2015 Boxing Writers Association of America trainer of the year Abel Sanchez, cruised to a shutout decision win against Silverio Ortiz (35-19, 17 KOs), 33, of Mexico, winning 80-72 on all three scorecards. In another undercard fight, light heavyweight prospect Trevor McCumby (24-0, 19 KOs), 24, of Phoenix, scored two knockdowns and stopped long-faded Donovan George (25-7-2, 22 KOs), 32, of Chicago, at 1 minute, 48 seconds of the first round of their scheduled eight-round fight. George lost his third bout in a row.

Saturday at Cardiff, Wales

Terry Flanagan TKO8 Orlando Cruz

Retains a lightweight title

Records: Flanagan (32-0, 13 KOs); Cruz (25-5-1, 13 KOs)

Rafael's remarks: England's Flanagan, a 27-year-old southpaw, made his fourth successful title defense in easy fashion as he absolutely dominated the much smaller Cruz, 35, of Puerto Rico. Cruz, boxing's first openly gay fighter, had lost a featherweight world title shot when he got stopped in the seventh round by then-titleholder Orlando Salido in 2013. Although Cruz, a southpaw, was riding a five-fight winning streak entering the bout with Flanagan, he was moving up in weight and was completely outclassed. Cruz, who said he wanted to win the title to inspire the gay community, was basically trying to survive as Flanagan laid a beating on him before dropping him twice in the eighth round. First Cruz hit the mat from a left hook and after the second knockdown, from a right hand at the end of a sustained flurry, referee Steve Gray mercifully stopped the fight at 43 seconds.

Saturday at London

Katie Taylor TKO3 Karina Kopinska -- Fight recap

Junior lightweight

Records: Taylor (1-0, 1 KO); Kopinska (7-15-3)

Rafael's remarks: Taylor, 30, of Ireland, the darling of women's boxing in the United Kingdom, was a hugely decorated amateur, winning five consecutive world amateur championships and an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Games. However, she was upset in her opening bout of the 2016 Rio Olympics and elected to turn pro. She signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing and made her pro debut in a scheduled six-round bout and was very impressive against Kopinska, 27, of Poland. Despite a poor record, Kopinska had only previously been stopped once and showed tremendous heart against Taylor, although she lost her fourth fight in a row.

Taylor pounded Kopinska throughout the fight and bloodied her nose in the third round before bombarding her with a double-fisted attack as she looked for cover in a corner, prompting referee Robert Williams to intervene at 58 seconds.

Saturday at Cebu City, Philippines

Milan Melindo W12 Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr.

Wins a vacant interim junior flyweight title

Scores: 117-111, 115-113 (twice)

Records: Melindo (35-2, 12 KOs); Sakkreerin Jr. (31-5-1, 16 KOs)

Rafael's remarks: With 108-pound world titleholder Akira Yaegashi (24-5, 12 KOs) sidelined with a rotator cuff injury and unable to make his mandatory defense on schedule, this interim title fight between the leading available contenders, Sakkreerin, of Thailand, and Melindo, of the Philippines, was sanctioned with the stipulation that Yaegashi will have to eventually face the winner. That means it will be against Melindo, 28, who prevailed after losing two previous shots at full world titles. Melindo has won three in a row, including against Sakkreerin, 23, who had previously lost by ninth-round technical decision in a strawweight world title fight to Katsunari Takayama in 2015.

It was a competitive fight with Sakkreerin appearing to be quicker and accurate with his jab. But Melindo, the aggressor, was patient and took control in the seventh round, pinning Sakkreerin along the ropes with an onslaught of punches. They went back and forth in the final few rounds, but Melindo, whose counterpunching was a big factor, hung on to his lead.

Saturday at Uncasville, Connecticut

Vaughn Alexander W6 Antonio Chaves Fernandes

Middleweight

Scores: 60-54 (three times)

Records: Alexander (7-0, 5 KOs); Fernandes (7-30-4, 2 KOs)

Rafael's remarks: In one of the bouts on Main Events' inaugural "Mohegan Sun's Rising Stars Boxing Series" at the Mohegan Sun resort, Alexander, 30, of St. Louis, fought for only the second time since 2004 because he went to prison for 12 years for armed robbery and assaulting a police officer. Alexander, the older brother of former welterweight and junior welterweight world titleholder Devon Alexander, was a promising welterweight prospect back then. Now he is a middleweight looking to fulfill the potential he had more than a decade ago. After his prison release, Alexander fought in October and then shut out Fernandes, 37, of Brockton, Massachusetts, in his first bout since signing with promoter Main Events. Alexander appeared in excellent condition and easily outboxed Fernandes, who was there only to survive. It was not much of a fight and not particularly entertaining, but Alexander got in the needed rounds as he continues his comeback.

Friday at Brentwood, England

Bradley Skeete W12 John Thain

Retains British welterweight title

Scores: 118-111 (twice), 116-112

Records: Skeete (25-1, 11 KOs); Thain (16-3, 1 KO)

Rafael's remarks: Skeete, 29, of England, rolled to victory in the first defense of the British title since winning it by unanimous decision from Sam Eggington in March. Skeete won going away but Thain gave him a few issues during the first half of the fight before Skeete found his groove and put his stiff jab to good use, which left the light-hitting Thain bleeding from the mouth and nose and with a cut above the left eye. Thain, 29, of Scotland, who has typically fought at junior middleweight, saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end.