By Jake Donovan
The interim featherweight title reign for Javier Fortuna was brief and without a single title defense.
His first fight in the aftermath was even quicker and against a defenseless opponent.
The unbeaten Dominican featherweight scored two knockdowns en route to a 1st round knockout of Zamudio
in the main event of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights show, which aired live from Atlantic City.
Extended medical attention was given to Zamudio, who remained unconscious on the canvas several minutes following the brutal knockout.
Fortuna, who was stripped of the title after failing to make weight during Thursday's weigh-in, came in with the intention of making a statement. He did just that, throwing punches in bunches from the opening bell and refusing to allow Zamudio even a second to catch his breath.
An attempt at exchanging was met with miserable results for the visiting Mexican, whose thin resume made him a dubious choice for a contender, even with a paper title at stake. Both fighters traded punches in center ring, but quickly revealed Zamudio bringing a knife to a gun fight. Fortuna was too fast, too strong and way too accurate.
The sequence produced the first knockdown, as a flurry of punches was capped by a straight left that put Zamudio flat on his back. The fringe contender beat the count, but was already on wobbly legs.
Fortuna showed no interest in sticking around any longer than expected, going right back on the attack. Another head shot put Zamudio down and out, as the fight was waved off while he was flat on his back and with his eyes closed.
The official time was 1:08 of round one.
The bout was designed as an opportunity for Fortuna to remove the bad taste that came with a lethargic points win over Patrick Hyland last December. That win netted him an interim belt, with the reign lasting just four months until losing the title at the scales after coming in a pound over the featherweight limit on the first attempt.
Fortuna's struggles in the Hyland bout prompted his handlers to handpick the soft touch in this bout. The win does nothing for his career, improving only in win total as he advances to 22-0 (16KO).
Zamudio, who had to be taken out on a stretcher, falls to 25-2-1 (13KO). The loss snapped a 21-fight unbeaten streak, though largely against a collection of stiffs.
The opening televised bout saw John Jackson, son of former middleweight king and legendary knockout artist Julian Jackson, hand the first defeat to Cerresso Fort (16-1-1, 11KO) in their eight-round super welterweight bout. Scores were 79-73 (twice) and a surprisingly close 77-75 in favor of Jackson (16-1, 14KO), who appeared to be in control throughout the fight.
With the early ending in the main event, highly touted prospect Jonathan Batista received some unexpected face time.
What also wasn't expected was the outcome of the fight, as the Dominican welterweight suffered a unanimous decision loss to Emmanuel Lartei of Ghana.
Scores were 59-55, 59-56 and a completely absurd 60-54 in favor of Lartei (15-0-1, 7KO), in a fight many felt should have went in favor of Batista (13-1, 6KO).
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter:
@JakeNDaBox
