Emiliano Moreno overcame a rough start to preserve his unbeaten record.

The manner in which he was awarded the victory, however, will garner far more attention than his actual performance.

Cesar Francis was the victim of an absurdly early stoppage at the hands of Moreno, who claimed a seventh-round, technical knockout victory. Action was competitive through six rounds before Moreno rallied late in the seventh. Francis was driven to the ropes, at which point referee Dan Stell inexplicably stopped the contest.

The official time was 2:44 into the seventh round of their ProBox TV-aired junior welterweight contest Wednesday evening from Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in Jamestown, California.

Francis (13-3, 8 KOs) stood in disbelief as the fight was waved off, in a contest where he led 58-56 on two cards through six rounds. The battle of the jabs worked in favor of Francis, who’d lost two of his last three and was in need of a notable win.

Moreno (12-0, 7 KOs) struggled out the gate, as he just couldn’t get his offense flowing. That dynamic changed for good in round four, when the Long Beach-based junior welterweight regularly found a home for his right hand.

Action was more free flowing from that point, though Moreno began to claim momentum into the second half of their scheduled ten-round affair. Francis was forced on the defensive after he got caught by a left hook. He stopped punching but was still alert and able to hold when necessary as Moreno went on the attack.

A left hook and right hand forced Francis against the ropes in a corner. Moreno landed one final left hook before Stell got in between the fighters and waved off the bout.

The action itself and the announced final outcome were lustily booed by the passionate crowd on hand.

Anthony Cuba (9-1-2, 4 KOs) survived an eighth-round knockdown to take a well-earned, unanimous decision over previously unbeaten DeMichael Harris (12-1-1, 11 KOs). Scores were 78-73, 77-74 and 77-74 for Cuba, a 22-year-old from Fontana who has won two straight since a loss to Curmel Moton (2-0 at the time, now 7-0, 6 KOs) last March 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Locally based 18-year-old junior welterweight prospect Jennah Creason (2-0-1, 0 KOs) was held to a four-round, majority draw against visiting Samantha Ginithan. Scores were 39-37 Ginithan (1-0-1, 1 KOs), 38-38 and 38-38.