Layne Takes Gomez’s Title With KO in 9th

Fredo Layne of Panama knocked out Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico in the ninth round Saturday night to strip Gomez of his World Boxing Assn. junior lightweight title.

Layne, 25, flattened Gomez with a right hand with two seconds remaining in the eighth round, and Gomez had to be helped into his corner by his handlers.

As the ninth round opened, Layne, 125, caught Gomez on the ropes and battered him with a barrage of right hands. Gomez (42-3-1) fell to the canvas again, prompting referee Stanley Christodoulou to stop the fight at 32 seconds of the round.

Gomez lay on the canvas until he could be helped back to his corner.

Gomez, 29, who just made the weight limit of 130, looked sluggish at the beginning of the fight, but came back strong in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds to pile up an early lead in the scheduled 15-round fight.

All three judges had Gomez ahead on points when the fight ended.

Layne is 15-4.