A Little Gem

I just witnessed a terrific tussle between tiny pugilists Fernando Montiel and Luis Melendez for Montiel's super-flyweight (115 lbs.) belt. Versus, which aired it, replays the hell out of their fights, so you'll probably get a chance to see it soon just by channel-surfing. But here's a quick summary if you don't care to:

Second round, Melendez stuns Montiel. Close back and forth for a while. Sixth round, Montiel decks Melendez literally as the bell rings, and when Melendez gets up, Montiel puts his arm around him and walks him back to Melendez' corner, both smiling. Within the first minute of the seventh, Melendez now decks Montiel. He's badly hurt but survives the round. In the eighth Montiel buzzes Melendez, nearly decking him again. Montiel begins to take over but the toll of the fight is that his face is practically mush. Montiel KO's Melendez in the 12th with but a minute left. Ring announcer Michael Buffer declares that the crowd should give a round of applause for "a magnificent title fight." They do.

That is all.