This past Friday Javier Fortuna showed what can happen when you make the most of an opportunity. Yes, he was definitely supposed to defeat Cristobal Cruz, but the feeling was he would be tested by a rugged veteran. Wrong.

It was clear from the opening bell that the Dominican’s power, speed, and skill were too much for Cruz. The first knock down came less than a minute into the fight, and a nonstop barrage of power punches from all angles followed. The speed differential was so great that even when Fortuna threw wide sweeping shots, Cruz could do nothing but gamely try to move forward, but that just allowed more punches to rain in. In fact, when Fortuna did slow down just a tick in the second round, it was only to set up the left hook that ended the fight and appeared to break Cruz’s nose in the process.

You have to appreciate a prospect taking risks like this early in his career, it doesn’t happen often. Even when it does, a lot of fighters will play it safe leaving  fans with a snoozer of a fight.  Not Fortuna, he opens up to land big, at times keeping his hands down to invite his opponent in, all those things which make for fireworks each time he steps through the ropes.  His last bout was equally as impressive as he fought another undefeated prospect, Yaundale Evans. That fight went much the same way, with a left by Fortuna causing Evans’s eyes to literally roll around in their sockets.

With two resounding knockouts in two appearances on Friday Night Fights against what was supposed to be tough competition, I have a feeling the next time we see him will be on a premium network. At least it should, these are the guys we scream for. The guys who fight anybody, who go in the ring looking for the KO, and are just vulnerable enough to keep us glued to the screen because anything can happen.