Pernell Whitaker vs. Diosbelys Hurtado
Atlantic City, NJ
147 lbs
Arthur Mercante Jr.
WBC Welterweight Championship
WBC Welterweight Champion Pernell Whitaker scores a dramatic come-from-behind knockout against undefeated Diosbelys Hurtado. Hurtado shockingly drops Whitaker on his behind with the first punch of the fight. He later appears to score another knockdown when Whitaker's knee hits the canvas during an exchange in the fifth, but Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. misses it and instead prematurely docks Hurtado a point for leaning on Whitaker and hitting him. Hurtado gets the point back when he drops Whitaker to a knee with a left hook in the sixth. He wobbles Whitaker twice in the seventh but loses another point for hitting behind the head. Whitaker loses a point for the same infraction in the ninth as Mercante continues to overofficiate the bout. Down on all three scorecards and needing a knockout to save his title and a big payday against Oscar De La Hoya, Whitaker hurts Hurtado with a left hand in the eleventh round. He continues to pound the challenger until Hurtado collapses, sprawled out between the ropes, and Mercante stops the fight without counting.
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