Highly touted Jr. welterweight Puerto Rican prospect Henry Bruseles came to Miami Florida for the first time, and we were very anxious to see whether all the reports from la Isla del Encanto which put Bruseles in the same light as Miguel Cotto were true.

His original opponent pulled out and Cuban born and now Miami resident, Hicklet 'El Marielito' Lau stepped up to the plate to face Bruseles. Lau, with a 17-7-2, 8 KOs record may not have looked too impressive on paper, but a tiger was certainly awaiting the Puerto Rican fighter.

The co-main event had all the action and drama many pay per view fights lack, (rewind to March 1 and John Ruiz's spiritless performance against RJJ). This fight had deep meaning for both men, as well as a world wide audience on HBO Latino and a shot at the Junior Welterweight NABO Latino title. Bruseles needed a win to continue to reach for the stars and 'Chop Chop' Corley's title. Lau needed a win in order to realign his career and work towards a ranking position for the first time.

On a more emotional note, Hicklet's father and biggest fan, Joaquín Lau, just passed away and we extend our deepest condolences to the Lau family on their loss. It was Mr. Lau's dream to see his son become a champion, and Hicklet wanted to make his dad's dream come true on this night. It was not to be however, as Henry Bruseles proved to be everything our scouts had told us he was and more.

This fight brought out the best of both men, and it was a shame that one of them had to lose. Bruseles, shorter and compact, often out jabbed Lau, snapping his head back with the beautiful jab more often than I care to remember. The exchanges were brutal; they fought in the center of the ring as well as on the ropes, and everywhere else in between, holding nothing back.

Bruseles went down once in the early rounds and he returned to the favor to Lau in the 8th round with a hellacious right hand. Hicklet Lau went on to show tremendous courage and determination, particularly in the last round, where after having been rocked severely, he managed to fight back and knock Bruseles' mouthpiece out, rendering him on very unsteady legs. Henry seemed on the verge of collapsing when the bell tolled to end the round and the grueling fight.

The fans appreciated the effort put forth by both warriors, erupting in wild applause and cheer. Throughout the fight chants of "Cuba, Cuba, Cuba" as well as "boricua, boricua, boricua" were clearly heard. Lau was the hometown favorite, but Bruseles' backers rolled deep.

In the end, the judges told the story, with a unanimous decision, lopsided in numbers but not in heart or effort. The numbers read 116-110, 117-110 and 117-109 for Henry Bruseles, who gets one of the many belts he is certain to garner in his promising career.