ORLANDO – You wouldn’t be able to tell Kaipo Gallegos is 19 years old by how he performed Friday night.

The 130-pound prospect continued his rapid ascent with a dominating second-round stoppage of Alberto Mercado at Caribe Royale. Gallegos (10-0-1, 8 KOs) dropped Mercado twice before his corner opted to stop the fight between the second and third rounds.

Mercado (17-9-1, 4 KOs) is 37, but he went the distance with junior lightweight champions Lamont Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) and O’Shaquie Foster (23-3, 12 KOs), as well as the WBA’s No. 1-ranked lightweight, Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs).

“I thought he was a tough opponent and an experienced fighter,” Gallegos told The Ring. “He's been in there with a lot of tough fighters. I feel like he hasn't been in the ring with someone like me. It was a different look for him, and we got the job done early.”

A first round in which both fighters felt each other out quickly changed when Gallegos landed a hard straight left to the liver that sent Mercado to the canvas near the end of the round. From there, the dynamic southpaw from Las Vegas picked Mercado apart, making him miss and making him pay with blistering counter punches.

Near the end of the second round, Gallegos hurt Mercado again with a left hand to the body before following up with a barrage of punches that led to the second and final knockdown of the fight.

“I felt like it was gonna go towards the middle rounds,” Gallegos said. “Early in the round, I caught him with a clean body shot. He felt that first body shot, [and] I think the second or third time he went down. In the beginning of the fight, I had a good rhythm going, so I felt comfortable.”

Among those who were impressed with what they saw from the rapidly ascending prospect was former “Trainer of the Year” Bob Santos, who was commentator for the card.

“His composure, he just seems to have a real good feel inside the ring,” Santos told The Ring. “His placement of punches, as you can see tonight, when he hit that kid with a liver shot, and then he had the presence of mind to go back downstairs there again. For a kid that’s 19 years old, he impressed me more tonight than probably anybody.”

Gallegos is ranked No. 15 by the WBA at junior lightweight. With the quick victory, he hopes to return to the ring again sooner rather than later.

“I’m just working every day in the gym,” Gallegos said, “staying ready for every time my promoters have a fight for me. They give me that call, I'm always ready. I'm always in shape. I feel like my promoter has done a good job with me, just moving me at a good pace.”