Japanese boxer Reiya Abe fell short in his bid to unseat Mexico's Luis Alberto Lopez as IBF world featherweight champion on Saturday, losing a one-sided bout via eighth-round technical knockout.
The 30-year-old Abe suffered a setback early in his first world title shot at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York when a hook from Lopez left him with a badly swollen right eye.
Laboring with one eye open, he was unable to stand his ground against a barrage from the champion early in the eighth, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
The result leaves Abe with a record of 25 wins, four losses and one draw, with 10 wins by knockout.
The 30-year-old Lopez improved to 30-2 (17 KOs) with his third successful defense of the belt.