FORMER World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales had an impressive return to US soil following a fifth round stoppage of Mexican veteran Fernando Vargas Parra at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Tapales, who has fought sparingly in the past three years, rocked Parra with a right hook to the head in the fifth round.
He put on some pressure and tried to score a knockout but Parra was tough as nails.
Near the end of the fifth, the 26-year-old Tapales, a product of the RWS Gym in Labangon, landed a vicious right hook to the head that dropped Parra.
The Mexican stood up and beat the count just as the bell rang to mark the end of the round. Parra was wobbly going to his corner and was deemed unfit to continue forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Tapales, who had former world champion Rodel Mayol in his corner, improved to 32-2 with 15 knockouts, while Parra dropped to 34-15-3 with 23 knockouts.