Fortuna and Franco fight to split draw on FNF

Fortuna and Franco fight to split draw on FNF
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 3, 2013

Bits and pieces: Fortuna-Zamudio lands in Atlantic City

Bits and pieces: Fortuna-Zamudio lands in Atlantic City

Mark E. Ortega

RingTV.com

March 19, 2013

The following “bits and pieces” of boxing news and items were compiled by RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega during the Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov card last Saturday. 

Fortuna-Zamudio lands in AC 

 The April 19 ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz has found a home. Undefeated featherweight contender Javier Fortuna will face unheralded Miguel Zamudio in Atlantic City at the Tropicana Casino & Resort, according to Nathan Lewkowicz, an executive at the promotional company as well as Sampson's son.

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Top 25 Prospects Final Report Card

Top 25 Prospects Final Report Card
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
January 5, 2013


When I first began contributing to TQBR, one of my first submissions was a list of 25 prospects that I had my eye on. Throughout 2012, I tracked their progress, even turning in a mid-year report on how they had done up until that point.

This piece marks a final report card on how those 25 fighters fared. Together, they combined for an astonishing 74-4 mark with 53 KOs, something that far exceeded my expectations when I first compiled the list.

This also marks my final contribution to TQBR as a staff writer, as I have decided in 2013 to focus more of my time on my weekly boxing column with the Northern California newspaper, the Martinez News-Gazette. By doing so, I felt as though I wouldn't have enough time to be a full-time contributor to TQBR and decided with editor Tim Starks' blessing it was time to move forward. I plan on still contributing the odd freelance piece online, though no destination has yet been determined.

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Javier Fortuna Aces Cristobal Cruz Test

Javier Fortuna Aces Cristobal Cruz Test
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
July 6, 2012


In an intriguing doubleheader on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights from Las Vegas, we learned a couple of new things about a few young fighters that share the oversight of Sampson Lewkowicz, who manages both A-side fighters in each bout and is largely responsible for their rise.

In the main event, 22-year-old Javier Fortuna of the Dominican Republic gave himself a nine-day early birthday present, starching well-traveled Tijuana-based journeyman Cristobal Cruz inside of two rounds in their scheduled 10-round clash.

Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) bothered Cruz with his power early, dropping him with some wide-swining stuff inside of Cruz's slower unorthodox punches early in the round. Cruz used all the veteran tricks he could in order to remain on his feet, pulling Fortuna to the canvas a number of times and falling to the ground at least once on his own.

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Half-Year 25 Favorite Prospects Report Card

Half-Year 25 Favorite Prospects Report Card
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
July 4, 2012


In January, one of my first contributions to TQBR was a list of my 25 favorite prospects to start 2012. Now that we have met the halfway point of the year, compiled here is a report on how those 25 prospects have fared and a grade letter assigned. Over the first six months, prospects were 41-2 with 27 knockouts. Not a bad start.

MAKING THE GRADE 

Eleider Alvarez, light heavyweight, 28, 9-0, 5 KOs (2-0) B+ 
Alvarez didn't sparkle against Rayco Saunders on ESPN2 in April, but returned to the Bell Centre in early June to lay a whooping on once-beaten Shawn Hawk. Alvarez needs to be a little more active at 28, and if he is able to get two fights to close out '12 it will have been a good year for him. Next fight: N/A

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