Alberto Palmetta overcame the superior pure boxing skills of Janelson Bocachica to bully his way to a victory.
Constant pressure applied by the visiting Argentinean was enough to sway the judges in a competitive ten-round welterweight contest. Judges Dennis DeBon (97-93), Joanne Richard (96-94) and Tito Wilgo (96-94) all scored for Palmetta in their ProBox TV-aired main event Wednesday evening from Whitesands Event Center in Plant City, Florida.
A battle of boxer versus puncher on paper did not quite mesh well during the first half of the contest. Bocachica used his height and reach advantage to keep Palmetta outside of effective punching range. Palmetta crouched and walked forward but was met in the early rounds by a long jab from the Puerto Rican welterweight who would then slide to his left to avoid a counter shot.
Palmetta managed to back Bocachica into the ropes in round three but was unable to take advantage of those moments. Bocachica returned to the jab and used subtle movement to disrupt the Argentine’s rhythm,
Bocachica fought with increased aggression in round four. He missed the mark with most of his shots but managed a chopping right hand under Palmetta’s guard. Palmetta set a trap and caught Bocachica with an overhand left but with minimal impact.
Palmetta caught Bocachica switching between stances and timed him with a left uppercut past the midway point of round five. Bocachica took the lead to that moment in that round but spent the rest of the frame playing defense and trying to draw in Palmetta to set up a counter opportunity.
A greater commitment to power saw Bocachica land three straight right hands midway through round six. Palmetta walked through the sequence and remained within punching range long enough to connect with an uppercut. Bocachica was not discouraged by the sequence as he recognized the need to take the lead in a close fight.
Action picked up in round seven, much to the delight of the intimate crowd. Bocachica boxed well for much of it, his jab and movement to Palmetta’s right enough to control the pace. Palmetta closed the gap in the final minute of the round. He had Bocachica against the ropes and on the defensive but did not let his hands go to the point of makng Bocachica pay.
Both boxers went to the body and then brought the attack upstairs while trading at center ring in round eight. A similar pattern developed, where Bocachica boxed well for more than two minutes. Palmetta connected with a left hand and run a 30-second drill in his best effort to steal the round.
Palmetta was far more consistent in round nine urged to let his hands go in the tenth and final round to seal the victory.
It was Bocachica, however, who took the lead and drastically increased his punch output. Palmetta showed a sturdy chin as Bocachica ripped right hands up top and to the body. Palmetta was trapped along the ropes and had to clinch as Bocachica went on the attack. The tide turned in the final minute of the fight, a trend that worked to Palmetta’s advantage as evidenced by the final scores.
The win advanced Palmetta’s record to 19-2 (13KOs) as he overcame a February 25 points loss to Jamal James on the road in Minneapolis.
Bocachica was visibly stunned upon hearing the final scores. The crowd reaction seemed to sympathize with the rangy Boricua, who fell to 17-2-1 (11KOs) and is now winless in his last three starts.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox