No fluke: Andrew Cancio stops Alberto Machado in rematch

He heard the excuses. Caught the word “fluke” being tossed around.

All it did was motivate him more.

Modern day "Cinderella Man," and WBA super featherweight champion Andrew Cancio, put a final exclamation point to his knockout victory of Alberto Machado last February by repeating the feat Friday night at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

Thing is though, he did it even faster this time-mowing down Machado with a final body shot to win by third-round stoppage.

The bout got off to brisk start. Cancio (21-4-2, 15 KOs) stalked and fired jabs and right hands. Machado, a southpaw, and four inches taller, stuck out his own jab and went to the body. He connected with a straight left to the chin. His goal was to use his advantage in length and box.

Cancio opened up and landed a combination to the head and body. Machado (21-2, 17 KOs) fought back.Cancio walked through some shots and let his hands go. Machado clipped Cancio with an uppercut to the chin in an exciting opening round.

Machado opened up round two with more combinations. Problem was, even though he was landing, he couldn’t hurt the determined Cancio—who worked the body. Machado caught Cancio coming in, but the defending champion, with his hometown crowd securely in his corner, and blood dripping from a cut over his left eye, ignored them.

He dug in and backed Machado up with hooks. An uppercut also landed. Machado fought back, but Cancio was a man on a mission. With 30 seconds to go in the stanza, he landed five wicked shots to the body. Machado looked like a man caught in a storm with no where to go. He was gassed and staggering. He fired back, but the stronger Cancio kept working. Machado wobbled to his corner at the bell.

Cancio told his corner before round three commenced, “I got it now.”

He proved it immediately, going to work on Machado’s head and body. A wicked left hook to the ribs sent Machado to one knee. Machado appeared conscious of the count but didn’t get up before the 10 count.

The time was 1:01 of round three.

“I told you guys I’d knock him out again,” said Cancio. “I was going for the head, but the body was there and I took it. I felt him slowing down. I told you it wasn’t a fluke. Let’s bring on the world champions.”