Massive underdog Lucas Browne upsets Junior Fa with brutal first-round TKO

Lucas Browne has seen better days in his boxing career, but he got a significant win in impressive fashion Saturday.

Browne, who once won a version of the WBA heavyweight title only to lose it after testing positive for a banned substance, drilled Junior Fa with a pair of crushing right hands on Saturday to score a first-round TKO at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, in the main-card opener of the George Kambosos-Devin Haney lightweight title fight.

Browne threw a big overhand right that dropped Fa midway through Round 1 and had him in serious jeopardy. Fa got up but was in serious trouble. He attempted to hold to ride out the round and get his faculties back, but there was far too much time remaining.

Browne, a +1400 underdog at some sports books, trapped Fa in a corner and ripped him with a right that appeared to land on the back of the head. Referee Jeffrey Eddy didn’t call it a foul and instead quickly waved off the bout to give Browne the TKO victory at 1:58 of the first.

Browne was only 2-2 in his last four entering the bout and had been fighting vastly inferior opposition. Fa was 19-1, his only loss coming in his last bout when he dropped a unanimous decision on Feb. 27, 2021, to ex-WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.

Fa did little in the bout. He landed a right right to the face when they were inside in the bout’s first 40 seconds, but he never managed to get untracked.

Browne, who is 43 years old, is now 31-3 with 27 KOs.