Javier Fortuna vs. Patrick Hyland: Preview and Prediction for WBA Title Fight

Javier Fortuna has the potential to be one of the next big stars in the sport of boxing.

Although he's on the undercard of an event loaded with talent, including two surefire Hall of Fame Fighters, don't be surprised if he steals the show.

Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) will be taking on Ireland's Patrick Hyland for the vacant "interim" WBA featherweight title.

While the title may sound like a joke, and it is, the winner will be a legitimate player in the featherweight division even if his title isn't.

The featherweight division could soon be one of the best in the sport, and the winner of this fight can expect even bigger matchups going forward. 

Hyland is undefeated at 27-0 with 12 knockouts and holds the distinction of being the only Irish-born fighter in history to amass that many wins without a loss.

He also holds the dubious distinction of being co-promoted by reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, if that is of interest to anyone.

The Irishman has some decent wins in his last couple of fights over past-their-prime fighters like Frankie Archuleta and Emmanuel Lucero, but from watching a few of his fights I don't think he will have the firepower to keep the whirlwind that is Fortuna off of him.

With that being said, for Hyland to have a chance at scoring the upset, he will need to slow down Fortuna with body shots and try to take this fight into the later rounds, as Fortuna has only gone 10 rounds once in his career.

The Dominican-born Fortuna, now fighting out of Oxnard, Calif., has scored two devastating knockouts this year, both in front of a national audience on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

The first was a highlight-reel-worthy first-round destruction of Yuandale Evans, a previously undefeated 16-0 prospect from Cleveland. 

The other was a second-round technical knockout over Cristobal Cruz, the durable former IBF featherweight champion who hadn't been stopped in nearly 10 years.

Expect this fight to have some good action for maybe three or four rounds before the Jersey Shore-backed fighter ends up on, just that, his back. 

As the saying goes in boxing, "Somebodies O has got to go," and that somebody will be Patrick Hyland.