By Rick Reeno

Palms Casino and Resort, Pearl Theater, Las Vegas, Nevada - Javier Fortuna (29-0-1, 21KOs) systematically broke down and stopped Carlos Ivan Velasquez (19-2, 12KOs) in the tenth round to retain the WBA 'regular' super featherweight championship.

Velasquez, the much taller and longer fighter, was using distance well in the first. Fortuna would rush him and look for something big on the inside.

Fortuna was letting the bombs fly at the start of the second, with rapid attacks. Velasquez would stay focused, by grabbing him until the referee broke them. Near the end of the second, a three punch combination sent Velasquez down. He was on unsteady legs upon rising. Fortuna was blasting away, going for the finish, but the bell saved Velasquez.

Fortuna was back on the attack in the third, rocking Velasquez and likely breaking his nose with the blood flowing heavy and splattering all over the place. At the end of the round, Velasquez was starting to let his hands go when Fortuna paused for a breather.

The third was controlled by Fortuna, who landed whenever he decided to explode with punches. Velasquez was paying patient and looking to time him with something big.

 In the fourth, the pace of Fortuna slowed down significantly. He was being very selective with his bursts of combinations and continued to fight at the same pace in the next few rounds. Velasquez was having trouble landing much of anything with Fortuna staying on the move, keeping low and grabbing when the two of them came together on the inside.

At the end of the ninth, Fortuna was really punishing Velasquez and continued to do damage in the tenth until referee Russell Mora jumped in to wave the fight off.