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Home » Crazy see-saw super bantamweight bout sees seven knockdowns

Crazy see-saw super bantamweight bout sees seven knockdowns

A see-saw super bantamweight clash between Alberto Melian and Frency Fortunato took place in Argentina this weekend.

Reporter Eric Armit picks up the story.

Lanus, Argentina: Super Bantam: Alberto Melian (9-2) W PTS 10 Frency Fortunato (10-1). Welter: Alberto Palmetta (17-1) W KO 2 PTS 10 Jose Herrera (35-12).

Melian vs. Fortunato

Melian overcomes a disastrous first five rounds to outpoint Fortunato in a scarp featuring seven knockdowns. Dominican Fortunato had height and reach over Melian, and Melian was taking chances to get inside.

Just one minute into the second, Fortunato floored Melian with a right uppercut. Melian was up quickly but badly shaken.

Fortunato chased him around the ring, throwing punches, and Melina went down on one knee to get some recovery time.

He managed to survive with a lot of holding. At the start of the third, Fortunato sent Melian to the canvas with two hefty rights to the head.

Melian survived again by holding some, moving some, and by Fortunato losing his mouthguard. The fourth was a close round, but when Melian seemed to be working his way into the fight, he was floored by a right in the fifth. He got up and shook Fortunato later in the round.

So five rounds gone, four knockdowns giving Fortunato a 10-7, and two 10-8 rounds with the unofficial scoring having Fortunato 50-41 in front, but Melian was still there and about to turn things around.

He outpunched a tiring Fortunato in the sixth and seventh, and Fortunato went down twice in the eighth partially from punches and partially from exhaustion but made it to the bell. Both were exhausted in the ninth, but Melian outpunched Fortunato.

Fortunato had nothing left and again went down from a mixture of exhaustion and punches but too late for Melian to get the knockout in the tenth. Scores 92-91 twice and 94-90 for Melian.

An amazing comeback from disaster from Melian in a theatrical contest.

Melian, an Olympian in 2012 and 2016, wins the WBA Inter-Continental title. Fortunato had won 6 of his last 7 fights by KO/TKO and came so close to winning here as well.

Palmetta vs. Herrera

Palmetta scores one punch kayo to retain the WBA International belt. Palmetta was scoring with some left hooks and straight rights in the first. Herrera’s defense looked leaky.

Palmetta rocked Herrera a few times in the second before left to the head dropped Herrera on his back, and he just failed to beat the count.

Southpaw Palmetta, 30, the WBA No 6, makes it ten inside the distance victories in a row.

As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games and gold at the Pan American Championships, as well as competing at the 2016 Olympics and being a member of the Argentinian Condors in the WSB.

Fourth loss in his last five contests for Herrera but against good quality fighters.

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