Javier Fortuna stops Marlyn Cabrera in two

Sep

Junior lightweight contender Javier Fortuna overwhelmed Marlyn Cabrera from the opening bell, eventually stopping him in the second round late Friday night at the Salon de Eventos P.C. Sambil in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Fortuna improves to 30-1-1 (22 knockouts). Cabrera (22-1, 10 KOs) suffers the first loss of his pro career.

It was Fortuna’s first fight since his knockout loss to Jason Sosa in Beijing, China three months ago, where he lost the WBA 130-pound title in the process.

The southpaw Fortuna did not waste any time from the opening bell, sitting down on his punches and putting Cabrera on the defensive. Fortuna dug hooks and left hands to the body but a double right hook to the head dropped Cabrera at the end of the opening round. Cabrera made it out of the round but it was only a matter of time before Fortuna would end things.

Fortuna stunned Cabrera twice in the second round. A barrage of punches on a defenseless Cabrera, who had his back against the ropes, prompted his corner to throw in the towel to save him from further punishment. Time of the knockout was 2:10.

Manager Sampson Lewkowicz told RingTV a few weeks ago that the goal is set up a rematch with Sosa sometime in 2017.

Also on the card, Jeison Rosario (12-0, 9 KOs) stopped Carlos Jairo Cruz (17-1, 11 KOs) in the second round in a clash of unbeaten junior middleweights. The 21-year-old Rosario has now stopped his last six opponents.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper, BoxingScene.com and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.

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