A Night of Quick Knockouts

Boxing’s return to the Reseda Country Club was a knockout.

Or more like one knockout after another.

Heavyweights Lionel Butler of Los Angeles, Jeremy Williams of Long Beach and Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills each overpowered opponents for first-round victories Thursday night before a crowd of about 800 in the first prizefighting program at the renovated Country Club in more than three years.

Butler pounded Bomani Parker of Cleveland with body shots and short combinations before dropping his opponent in Butler’s corner in the final seconds of the round.

“I didn’t want to be left out,” said Butler (25-12-1, 20 knockouts), ranked sixth by the World Boxing Federation. “I went for the knockout. If I didn’t get him as soon as I did, I would have gotten him in the later rounds. I knew he couldn’t take my punches for 10 rounds.”

Parker (14-4-1) spent the round fending off Butler, who bobbed and weaved for position to land powerful blows.

Butler, ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Council in 1994, might fight for the WBF title in January.

“I feel I’m in very good shape right now,” Butler said. “The only one who can beat me, is me.”

Whitaker, who turned pro in July after an unsuccessful bid to make the U.S. Olympic team last spring, made the most of his appearance by recording his third first-round knockout in as many professional fights.

Whitaker pounded Dion Burgess of San Diego (6-8) from the opening bell, dropping him twice and nearly a third time if not for the ropes saving Burgess from tumbling into the ringside seats.

“I just work for it,” Whitaker said. “I hurt him with the right. If I hurt him and can knock him out, then. . . .”

Williams barely worked up a sweat while dispensing of Wimpy Halstead of Oklahoma City in 1 minute 37 seconds. Williams (27-2) landed a thunderous short right hand that nearly sent Halstead tumbling through the ropes.

Heavyweight Josh Dempsey of Torrance also got into the act with a second-round technical knockout of Robert Ramirez of Los Angeles.

In a bout scheduled for six rounds, Dempsey (13-2) punished Ramirez with flurries of punches. Dempsey floored Ramirez in a neutral corner within the first 10 seconds and dropped him two more times before an exhausted Ramirez surrendered by dropping to a knee in the middle of the ring.

Also a winner by knockout was junior welterweight Chuck Goossen of North Hollywood, who stopped O’Neil Reid of Los Angeles in the second round.

Goossen (6-2), brother of undefeated IBO super welterweight champion P.J. Goossen, landed an overhand right 36 seconds into the round that dropped Reid and left him dazed. Reid’s record is 1-2.

The only bout on the six-fight card that went the distance was a four-round super middleweight matchup between Robert Galstyan of Glendale and Mervyn Penniston of Las Vegas.

Penniston (4-0) earned a unanimous decision in a competitive contest.