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02/28/2009 Archived Entry: "Orlando Lora Knocks Out Favio Medina!"
Orlando Lora Knocks out Favio Medina!
Claims IBA Title at the Coeur D’Alene Casino
Story and photo by Ricardo Ibarra
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Medina (left) and Lora trade blows
WORLEY, ID -- With a high degree of anticipation, a packed crowd filled the Coeur D’Alene Casino’s House of Fury this past Thursday, February 26th in support of their revered local pugilist as he stepped up to take on the biggest challenge of his young career. In the twelve round main event of a stacked six bout fight card, Sand Point, Idaho’s Favio Medina faced off with Mexico’s Orlando Lora for the vacant IBA Jr. Middleweight title. The two put on a great fight, battling for seven rounds of intense, back and forth action. Unfortunately for the partisan crowd, in the end their local hopeful would be on the losing end of a vicious TKO.
For the first two minutes of the fight it appeared as though Medina (20-2-2 8KOs 148 lbs.) would successfully employ a tactic that he had not used much before. Moving latterly at a distance, Medina worked at a measured pace behind his jab, stepping in with quick three and four punch combinations in close before moving back out of the pocket. Lora (23-0-1 18KOs 147 ½ lbs.), meanwhile, patiently stalked, looking for an opening. That opening came in the final moments of the round as a thunderous right hand sent Medina crashing to the canvas. Medina made it to his feet and did not look as though he had been hurt too badly, but the difference in strength was evident.
Lora picked up his pace in the second round, pressing with heavy power shots. Medina obliged his opponent’s aggression, fighting back with his own arsenal of jarring punches. The two fighters traded momentum throughout the round in some fierce exchanges, but it was Medina who took the worst of it, slightly wobbling from right hands on two occasions.
Through the third and forth rounds Lora maintained a slight edge with his harder, precise right hands. He once again buckled the knees of Medina in the forth, but Medina made the round close, working at a fast pace with quick combinations and stunning Lora at the end of the round.
The fifth and sixth rounds were close with Medina beginning to mount a slight comeback, taking the lead with good lateral movement, defense, and quick combination punching. At the end of the sixth the fight turned into an all out slugfest as the two stood toe-to-toe along the ropes, swinging away at each other as the crowd screamed in appreciation.
The two fighters once again clashed in some furious action early in the seventh, trading hard power shots in the center of the ring. Bleeding from the nose and mouth and with his right eye almost closed, Medina displayed some guts as he was visibly exhausted, yet still made the decision to stand and trade punch for punch with the stronger and fresher Lora. Mid-way through the round Lora would end the fight with a debilitating left hook followed by a right to the chin, sending his opponent falling limply to the canvas. Medina made it to his feet at nine, but as he wobbled badly in the corner the referee wisely stopped the fight. The end came at 1:37 of the seventh round, giving Lora the TKO victory and the title belt.
Results were much more positive for local heavyweight Skyler Anderson (12-1-1 8KOs 261 lbs.), who easily dominated Chris Koval (24-5 18 KOs 257 lbs) over six rounds in the evening’s semi-main event. Anderson boxed from a distance throughout the fight, snapping his jab and occasionally following up with quick straight rights and left hooks. As Koval aggressively pressed forward, Anderson was able to capitalize on his opponent’s aggression with precise counter-punches. A hard one-two dropped Koval in the fifth. Anderson would drop his opponent again in the sixth before unleashing a barrage of power shots that would prompt the referee to step in at 1:35.
Anderson continues to show improvements as he gradually moves his way up the boxing ranks. It is still too early to tell how far he can go, but with his continued progression, he is showing some promise.
In a tightly contested six round Jr. Middleweight bout, Portland, Oregon’s Osvaldo Rojas (6-1-1 2KOs 153 lbs.) and David Lopez (3-1-1 156 lbs.), of Caldwell, Idaho fought to a draw. Rojas, who was coming off a two year lay-off, had an edge early in the bout when he was able to land effectively in close with quick counter punches. As the bout wore on, though, the Portlander’s pace slowed and Lopez was able to find his rhythm with quick one-twos and straight lefts out of a southpaw stance. The official judges scored the bout 58-56 Rojas, 58-56 Lopez, and 57-57. The decision seemed fair as both fighters fought at a measured pace with neither really having a clear advantage in the bout.
Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over former IBF cruiserweight title holder Kelvin Davis last month, Great Falls, Montana’s Leo Bercier (7-8-1 4KOs 190 lbs.) claimed his second win in a row with a four round majority decision over Ron Simmons (2-3 1KO 189 lbs.) of Lewiston, Idaho. The bout was a close one with both fighters trading momentum throughout. Simmons fought most of the bout at a distance and had his best moments early on when he was able to counter his opponent with quick left hooks. Bercier pressed the fight, as he usually does, and began to take over with hard power shots to the head and body late in the fight. The last round was an exciting one with both fighters trading hard punches and managing to hurt each other. The judges’ scorecards read 38-38, 39-37, and 40-36.
In a four round welterweight bout, Reno, Nevada’s Adam Torres (2-0 1KO 149 lbs.) added his second win as a pro with a unanimous decision over journeyman Jess Salway (3-12-1 150 lbs.). Torres controlled the bout from the start, effectively using his jab to set up his combinations. In the third Torres forced his opponent take a knee with an assault of right hands. Salway put up a good effort, but Torres was too accurate for the Montana native. The official tallies read 40-37, 40-35, 39-36.
The younger brother of Favio Medina, Emmanuel Medina (1-0 1KO 148 lbs.), made a successful entry into the professional fight game with a second round TKO over Cleveland, Ohio’s Jonathan Senquiz (1-2 147 lbs.). Medina wasted no time, setting a quick pace early on with quick combinations behind a consistent jab. In the second round a hard uppercut buckled the knees of Senquiz. Medina pounced, dropping his opponent with an overhand right. The referee stopped the bout at 2:38, giving Median the TKO victory.
Promoter Moe Smith is already working on the next show, which will take place April 30th. Tickets are now available at the casino box office or at www.ticketswest.com.
