Jesus Cuellar vs. Ruben Tamayo: Winner, Recap and Analysis

On Saturday night from the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington, interim WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (26-1, 20 KO) did exactly what he was expected to do. He made quick work of Ruben Tamayo (25-5), stopping him in the fifth round of the card's main event.

ESPN's Dan Rafael has the official word:

At the opening bell, as is customary with Cuellar, he attacked his opponent. He didn't waste time feeling Tamayo out. He was looking for a quick stoppage, and it was apparent. 

Cuellar immediately took command of the ring and was the aggressor for as long as the fight lasted. His weapon of choice on Saturday was a relentless body attack. He scored three knockdowns in the fight, and all of them were the product of an assault on Tamayo's midsection.

Before the fight even started, Showtime's Steve Farhood was talking down Cuellar's interim tag but talking up the fighter as a legit contender:

While no one will mistake Tamayo for an elite featherweight, it's easy to see the power and pure slugging skills that Cuellar possesses. The 27-year-old has now won nine fights in a row.

In his amateur career, he lost to the real WBA champion, Nicholas Walters. TitleFight.com would love to see the two dynamic featherweights square off in the pros:

Trained by Robert Garcia, the Argentine-born Cuellar has some similarities to countryman and fellow Garcia stablemate Marcos Rene Maidana.

In actuality, he might be a bit more refined than El Chino.

Garcia's little brother—undefeated super featherweight Mikey Garcia—congratulated his gym brother after the win:

Per the Showtime broadcast, the victory made Cuellar the mandatory challenger for Walters' title.

Obviously, it makes no sense for an "interim" champion to exist while the real champion is active, but it's boxing. Those who love the sweet science simply learn to watch the fights with blinders on.

If Walters is next on Cuellar's list, everyone should buckle up. Both men have the power to end a fight with one strike.

As for Tamayo, he was clearly out of his league on Saturday. All we can do is hope he was paid well for the evening.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.