By: Sean Crose
LA’s Shrine Exposition Center hosted a PBC card on Saturday, which aired live on Fox and featured former super welterweight titlist Tony Harrison as he faced Bryant Perrella in the main event. First, however, the rising 18 year old Vito Mielnicki, 8-0, stepped in the ring to face the 6-2-0 James Martin in a scheduled 8 round affair in the welterweight division. Each man held his own in the first. Things remained fairly tight in the second, though Martin appeared to edge the round. Both fighters traded leather in a high octane third. Martin employed an effective and speedy jab in the fourth.
Mielnikci landed well in the fifth, while Martin looked like he might have been slowing down. Mielnicki fought much more fluidly in the sixth than he had in previous rounds. Martin went to war in the seventh. Mielnicki’s face was now covered in blood. Martin picked away at Mielnicki with his jab in the eighth and final round. The judges ended up ruling in favor of Martin via majority decision.