Cletus Seldin vs. Johnny Garcia: Winner, Recap and Reaction

WBC International silver super lightweight champion Cletus "The Hebrew Hammer" Seldin (16-0, 13 KO) put on a powerful and destructive performance on Friday night. He scored a fifth-round TKO win over Johnny Garcia (19-2-1) at the Paramount Theatre in the former's home state of New York. 

The Brooklyn native maintained his perfect professional record and improved his already impressive KO percentage to 76.4. 

Garcia was game, but clearly overmatched. He came out looking to apply pressure early, and may have even scored a knockdown in the first frame. He landed a right hand that appeared to cause Seldin's knee to touch the mat, but referee Tony Chiarantano didn't see it.

It turned out to be inconsequential. Seldin wasn't hurt, it was more of a slip than a true knockdown. In the second round, Seldin began to open up and prove he was the superior fighter.

He rocked Garcia badly in the fourth round. It looked as if Garcia might be stopped as he careened into the ropes, but to his credit, he showed moxie. Garcia began to fire back and ultimately survived the round.

Bernardo Osuna of ESPN Deportes lauded Garcia's heart after taking some tough shots in the fourth round.

In the fifth, Seldin landed another huge right hand that signaled the beginning of the end for Garcia. The Hebrew Hammer battered a bloodied and still dazed Garcia until Chiarantano was forced to step in and stop the fight.

Fellow boxer Seanie Monaghan congratulated Seldin after the bout.

Seldin came into the fight ranked a modest 105th in his weight class, per BoxRec.com. Just prior to the bout, Seldin recorded the vlog that appears below. There's no doubt Seldin's training habits prepare him to maximize his talents.

The question is: can he compete with a higher level of competition at 140 or 147 pounds.

While beating Garcia isn't exactly a win that will vault him into the Top 10, the 28-year-old is still undefeated after a nationally televised performance. Seldin will need to step up his level of competition and continue his winning ways if he hopes to ascend the rankings.

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