By Scott Gilfoid: With a blistering display of punching power, former heavyweight contender Dominick Guinn (29-6-1, 20 KOs) destroyed Canadian Jean Francois Bergeron (27-2, 19 KOs) in the second round. Guinn, 33, staggered Bergeron with a big right hand early in the second, then followed up with a flurry of shots ending with a left-right combination that deposited Bergeron on the canvas. He staggered to his feet, but was unable to stand without leaning on the ropes.

Referee Gerry Bolen did the right thing and stopped the fight at 2:40 of the round. It’s unfortunate that Guinn hasn’t fought like this in the recent past, as he looked more than impressive when he was letting his hands go against Bergeron in the fight. The TKO was especially impressive because Bergeron had fought 12-rounds with Nikolay Valuev, in a losing effort last September. Guinn, however, didn’t seem to want to wait around like Valuev did, and immediately pounced on the huge 6’5” Bergeron from the outset of the fight. Bergeron, 35, hardly had a chance to get started before Guinn started launching howitzer shots at him with both hands.

Instead of staying at the center of the ring and using his reach advantage, did the worst thing imaginable, he retreated to the ropes and attempted to cover up. This was perhaps the best thing Guinn, who had lost two out of his last four fights, could hope for, and he didn’t hesitate to start firing on the tall body of Bergeron as he helplessly tried to cove r up. As the round ended, Guinn hurt Bergeron with a right hand. In the second round, Bergeron was at least able to land a few punches before Guinn continued with his one-sided beating.

The problem for Bergeron, besides the fact that he had no hand speed, no power and seemingly no confidence, was that he wasn’t using his reach to keep Guinn at a distance. Instead, Bergeron was allowing him to wade right up to him without trying to hit him with anything big. At the absence of any offense, Bergeron probably would have been wise to try running around the ring, but even that he didn’t do.

In essence, he was royally in deep water. Guinn quickly went after him and staggered him with a right hand. Bergeron, badly hurt, then retreated to the ropes where Guinn dropped him after hitting him with five power shots to the head. Miraculously, Bergeron made it to his feet, leaning against the ropes like a drunk. Unlike in the other fight on the card, the Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade, the referee did the right thing in stopping the fight when he saw that Bergeron was incapable of standing without leaning against the ropes for support.

This win was crucial for Guinn, because his career has taken a major nosedive since 2003, at which time he was unbeaten and a top contender. Yet since that time, he’s lost six fights, dropped from the top 15 and looked positively dreadful in many of his fights. In watching him in 2003 and comparing it to his two recent losses in 2007, he looks like a completely different fighter. Physically he looks the same, but the way he had been fighting – lacking energy, a poor work rate and not much aggression – seemed to indicate that he wasn’t into it anymore, and had lost something. Hopefully, Guinn can continue to fight like he did on Saturday night, because if he would let his hands go like that against any of the top 15, he’d present a formidable obstacle for them