MONTREAL, Dec 1: Canadian Eric Lucas retained his World Boxing Council super-middleweight title by stopping South African Dingaan Thobela in the eighth round Friday night at Montreal Molson Center.

Lucas dominated the fight against a flabby Thobela, setting him up for the finish by following a left hook to the body with another left hook to the head.

A straight right hand then found the mark and moved the referee to stop it at 2 minutes 15 seconds of the eighth.

The 30-year-old Lucas improved to 34-4-3. Thobela dropped to 40-9-2.

Thobela, a former three-time world champion, was trying to get back the title he lost to Canadian Davey Hilton last December. Hilton was later convicted of sexual assault and stripped of his title.

Lucas claimed the vacant title by knocking out Britain’s Glenn Catley in the seventh round of their match last July.—Reuters