Jermell Charlo scored what'll surely be in the running for the year's top knockout, starching previously unbeaten challenger Erickson Lubin with a single right hand in the first round of their Saturday night fight for the WBC's 154-pound championship at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

It was a sudden ending to what was expected to be an athletic chess match between two high-quality 20-somethings, coming to a close after just 2:41.

The sequence saw Charlo, 27, come forward with a pair of flicking left jabs, and, as Lubin ducked under the charge, he was clipped high on the jaw -- just beneath the right ear -- with a right uppercut.

Lubin, 22, immediately collapsed to his left knee and then to his back, where he flailed briefly before referee Harvey Dock waved it off after counting to six.

A melee ensued when a member of Lubin's camp threw a chair at Charlo's brother, Jermall, and the venom continued as the brothers were interviewed by Showtime's Jim Gray.

Gray asked Jermall if he was OK, prompting him to look over at Lubin's corner and yell, "Is you OK?"

It was the 30th victory and 15th stoppage for Jermell Charlo, who made his second successful defense of his WBC belt.

"I was cool. They said they was gonna come take my title," he said. "I had to defend it."

Lubin is now 18-1.

"I'm fine. I'm perfect. I feel good," he said. "He caught me with a blind shot. He landed it. I felt like when I got up I could have kept fighting. It happens. Its boxing. I'm young and I'm hungry. I wanted to entertain the crowd. (I'm going to) remain hungry, get back in the gym and become that champion I know I am."