Sakima “Mister Smooth” Mullings battered Canadian challenger Phil “The Assassin” Rose into submission to win the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series Junior Middleweight Contender title by technical knockout at the Mico University College Grounds on Wednesday night.

The history-making result came at one minute and eight seconds of the sixth round in the 10-round contest that produced the first double champion of the Contender Series.

The display by Mullings in his title bid was a masterful exhibition of tact, guile and a smooth, but telling execution of heavy body punches.

“It was my defence that cost me the fight more than anything else. I failed to defend with great care and because of that anomaly, he (Mullings) caught me with a number of effective punches. From then onward, it was downhill,” admitted the vanquished Rose.

It was one of the best displays in the ring by Mullings on local soil and he was probably incensed by the opposing camp who promised a knockout of the Jamaican.

Mullings dismissed the promise of Rose a knockout “as unfounded and far-fetched” as blessed “with a solid chin”.

With victory uppermost in his mind, Mullings began with some probing and speculative right-hand teasers to the body as he danced in and out to avoid the big swings of Rose. By midway the round, however, Mullings had begun to force his opponent into fighting his fight.

From then on, Mullings had taken full control of proceedings and Rose’s attempt to knock Mullings out with his big swings only met with frustration as the dapper Mullings danced and shifted as he eased into a comfortable lead after three rounds.

The fourth round Rose came into his own as he began to find his range. Somewhere between rounds four and five Mullings was seen shaking off a flush right that landed on the button.

This made Mullings stand and take notice, and from here on, he went to work with some big shots of his own that had Rose reeling in the fifth round. And as Mullings moved in for the kill, the bell came to Rose’s rescue.

With the scent of blood, Mullings moved in swiftly to finish off his opponent and had him reeling on the ropes twice before the American World International Boxing Hall of Fame Referee, Steve Smoger, stepped in to stop the carnage at 1:08 minutes of the sixth round.

“We used angles to get the upper hand of our opponent. He is bigger, stronger, but slow of feet. So we used angles to keep him moving and to create space. Keep him moving will slow him down and we will then have everything to ourselves,” Mullings said.

Mullings, for his efforts, walked away with $2 million and the Contender championship belt.

Earlier, former Contender champion Kemahl “The Hitman” Russell flattened his Trinidad and Tobago opponent Nigel Edwards in 1:14 minutes of the first round to win the Super Middleweight undercard over eight rounds. Dr Andre McDonald and his SureTime team had to be called in to revive Edwards who fell flat on his face after he had been knocked cold off his feet.