ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – Bernard Torres got off the canvas Friday night to make his fight with Frency Fortunato very competitive.

It wasn’t enough, however, to enable the Filipino southpaw to remain unbeaten. The Dominican Republic’s Fortunato defeated Torres by split decision in their 10-round featherweight fight at Bally’s Event Center.

Judges Jacklyn Atkins (97-92) and Mark Consentino (95-94) favored Fortunato, who lost 95-94 on the scorecard of judge Paul Wallace. Fortunato’s fourth-round knockdown was the difference on Wallace’s scorecard for a bout Showtime aired as the co-feature of a “ShoBox: The New Generation” tripleheader.

Wallace would’ve scored it even, 95-95, and the bout would’ve resulted in a split draw if not for the knockdown.

Fortunato improved to 14-1 (10 KOs). Torres, who resides in Norway, slipped to 16-1 (7 KOs).

Torres appeared to be in control entering the 10th and final round, when he connected with several flush left hands. But Fortunato did enough earlier in the bout to withstand his late rally and won a fourth straight fight.

Torres turned around Fortunato’s head with a right hook early in the ninth round. That shot sent Fortunato in motion, as he tried to keep away from the stalking southpaw.

Torres countered Fortunato with a left hand that knocked him into the ropes late in the eighth round. Another hard left by Torres landed in an exchange just before the bell sounded to end the eighth round.

Fortunato landed a right to the body early in the seventh round, but Torres fired back with a straight left up top that made Fortunato back off. A right hook by Torres backed up Fortunato later in the seventh round.

Torres caught Fortunato with another right hook that moved him into the ropes toward the end of the seventh round.

Fortunato’s right uppercut caught Torres as he pressed forward, with his head down, early in the sixth round. Torres’ right hook to the body got Fortunato’s attention in the middle minute of the sixth round.

Fortunato hit Torres with two flush right hands that backed him up in the opening minute of the fifth round. Torres landed a straight left hand that stopped Fortunato from coming forward toward the end of the fifth round.

Torres’ straight left landed early in the fourth round, but Fortunato drilled Torres with a counter right several seconds later. Torres’ right hook connected in an ensuing sequence, but another counter right by Fortunato sent Torres to the seat of his trunks with just under 50 seconds on the clock in the fourth round.

Torres answered referee Mary Glover’s count quickly, though, and finished the fourth round on steady legs.

A right hook by Torres made Fortunato reset his feet early in the third round. Fortunato drilled Torres with a right to the body toward the end of the third round.

After an unremarkable opening round, Torres hit Fortunato with a right hook early in the second round. Fortunato countered Torres with a left hook that knocked him off balance later in the second round.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.