Masternak Lost to Dorticos Despite Coming Close to Victory

Mateusz Masternak (41-5, 28 KOs) was once again close to the biggest victory of his career. He performed very well in Orlando, but it was not enough to defeat Yunier Dorticos (23-1, 21 KOs). After twelve entertaining rounds, the judges unanimously scored the fight for the Cuban.

The opening of the fight was cautious. Both boxers tested each other with jabs, although it was clear that Masternak was feeling more pressure. Dorticos noticeably stepped up the pace in the second round and hurt the Pole badly several times. “Master” found himself in serious trouble. For a moment, there were fears that, like Dmitry Kudryashov, he might end the fight with the Cuban quickly. Fortunately, he survived the difficult spell.

After winning the first four rounds, Dorticos began to run out of steam. That was when the boxer from Wroclaw started to find his rhythm. In the middle rounds, Masternak looked like a fighter who was increasingly understanding his opponent. He avoided Dorticos’ punches and responded effectively with counterattacks. Around the eighth round, trainer Piotr Wilczewski noticed that the Cuban was already very tired. The Pole gradually began to take control of the fight.

Unfortunately, Dorticos regained his strength in the closing stages. He made his presence felt more effectively in the final rounds, and that section of the fight probably decided the verdict.

After twelve rounds, the judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of the fighter from the hot island. Thus, like Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Mateusz Masternak ended his participation in the World Boxing Super Series tournament in the quarterfinals. It is a shame, because Dorticos was an opponent who could have been beaten.

Source: bokser.org