MANCHESTER. England Nov 10: Britain's Naseem Hamed retained his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) featherweight title here Saturday when he stopped previously unbeaten Remigio Molina of Argentina in the second round of a scheduled twelve-round contest, reports AFP.

The referee wisely stopped in to stop the contest 30 seconds before the bell to end the round after the South American came under renewed attack from the champion after being floored by a devastating flurry of punches earlier in the round.

It was an emphatic answer to the critics who had been writing off the unbeaten 22-year-old Hamed after disappointing |>erformances in his fast two title defences.