All 11 of his professional victories had come by knockout, giving Teremoana an opponent capable of punching back rather than another heavyweight picked merely to absorb punishment. The Australian started behind his power, forcing Savage onto the defensive and hurting him during the opening round. Teremoana stepped into distance and landed the shot that dropped Savage heavily to the canvas. The American could not beat the referee’s count, handing Teremoana another early knockout and the strongest victory of his professional career. Savage entered with enough punching authority to demand disciplined distance management, yet Teremoana controlled the exchanges before Savage could establish his own offense.