PHILADELPHIA – Love fittingly won out on Valentine’s Day.

Junior welterweight prospect Montana Love withstood some rough rounds in the middle of his eight-round fight Friday night versus Jerrico Walton, hurt Walton in the seventh round and won a unanimous decision at 2300 Arena. Each judge – David Braslow (77-75), Dewey LaRosa (78-74) and Tony Lundy (77-75) – scored the back-and-forth action for Cleveland’s Love.

Love remained unbeaten (13-0-1, 6 KOs) and dealt New Orleans’ Walton his first professional defeat (16-1, 7 KOs).

Showtime televised Love’s victory as part of a four-fight “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecast. In Love’s previous “ShoBox” appearance, he battled Kenneth Sims Jr. to an eight-round split draw in July 2018 in Sloan, Iowa.

A straight left by Love backed up Walton early in the eighth and final round. Walton avoided getting hurt again in those final three minutes.

A right hook by Love changed the course of their fight 40 seconds into the seventh round. That shot buzzed Walton, who controlled the previous few rounds, and knocked him into the ropes.

Love followed up with a right uppercut and a left hand, but Gonzalez stopped the action to separate them.

A right hand by Walton backed Love into the ropes early in the sixth round.

Walton wrestled with Love against the ropes in the fifth round, when he unloaded a left hook that affected Love.

Walton drilled Love with a right hand that made him stumble about 1:10 into the fourth round. Love recovered and didn’t take another hard shot for the remainder of the fourth round.

Walton’s right cross caught Love flush 15 seconds into the third round and made him hold. An elusive Love made Walton miss with several right hands later in the third round.

A right hook by Love backed up Walton with just under two minutes to go in the second round. Love’s right hook rocked Walton very early in the opening round.

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