UIC Pavilion, Chicago - Undefeated super featherweight contender Javier Fortuna scored a one-punch fifth round knockout of Abner Cotto in a dirty, foul-filled affair.
Both fighters were deducted points – Cotto for low blows and punching to the back of the head and Fortuna for punching after the bell. The first penalty was in the second, where Cotto threw two punches to the back of Fortuna’s head which the referee called a knockdown but simultaneously deducted a point against Cotto (18-3, 8 KOs), who was then penalized for low blows in the fourth.
The former interim WBA Featherweight World Champion reacted to some taunting from Cotto with a punch after the bell in the fourth and was deducted a point even though the punch didn’t land and Cotto appeared to flop to the canvas.
Fortuna (26-0-1, 19 KOs) came out blazing in the fifth and the southpaw dropped Cotto with a solid straight left at 1:32. The Puerto Rican, a second cousin of future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, couldn’t beat the count.
“He was a dirty fighter, but I took care of him,” Fortuna said. “He got in my face after the fourth but my punch didn’t land –that was a flop. I want to fight the best at 130 pounds. I know Mikey Garcia went up in weight but I’ll fight him at any weight he wants.”