Sandpoint boxer heads into championship fight
SANDPOINT — For years Sandpoint boxer Favio Medina has been pounding the pavement, putting in the necessary road work of all great fighters. For years he has pounded the heavy bag, cranked out push-ups and sit-ups, and sparred in the ring, patiently honing his craft.
He’s built up a tidy 20-1-2 professional record, eight wins by way of knockout, and gained a solid regional fan base with some stellar fights at the Coeur d’Alene House of Fury.
But tonight is different. Tonight he steps into the ring to face Mexican boxer Orlando Lora (22-0, 16 knockouts) for the International Boxing Association Junior Middleweight World Championship. Tonight he steps into the ring for the biggest fight of his career — bar none.
“Definitely,” replied Medina when asked if this is his biggest stage to date. “This is the one I’ve been looking for since I started. If I win, you call me a world champ; the whole shebang.”
They don’t just give away world title belts, however, and to earn one, the 27 year-old Medina will need to beat the most dangerous fighter he’s ever faced in his career. Promoter Moe Smith of the Coeur d’Alene Casino simply calls Lora, who possesses dangerous power, “a dang good fighter.”
Medina said Lora likes to sit back, fight at his own pace, and wait to throw big punches. Medina hopes to keep him on his heels from the opening bell, and use his superior conditioning to try to wear Lora down.
“I’m going with my pace, in your face, and he’s going to have to deal with it; nonstop punching,” said Medina of his pre-fight strategy. “This only comes once in a lifetime. I’ve been patiently waiting for this moment my whole life.”
The IBA belt is one of the top four titles in boxing, considered a legitimate world title. Medina is currently ranked No. 179 in the world in the pound-for-pound ratings, and Lora sits at No. 112. A win tonight and Medina vaults onto the national stage and into the upper echelon of fighters in the U.S.
Smith said Medina is all about heart, and his biggest strengths as a fighter are pretty simple.
“Conditioning and tenacity. Nobody is in better shape than Favio, he could fight all night,” said Smith, who believes the longer the fight goes, the better Medina’s chances of winning become. “He needs to stay on his (Lora’s) butt, don’t give him no room. When a guy don’t have the skills, you run right over the top of him.”
Medina believes he is in his prime as a fighter, and that win or lose, this fight is good for his career. He credits the Coeur d’Alene Casino and his trainer, Clint Anderson, with making the fight happen.
He’s also happy to be re-united with his younger brother Manny, who recently moved back to Sandpoint. Manny will be making his pro debut on the undercard tonight, facing Jonathon Senquiz (1-1) of Cleveland in a 147-pound matchup.
The brothers Medina have been sparring in the ring lately, and Favio admitted that one usually gets the better of the other.
“Getting in with your brother can be tough sometimes,” explained Favio. “Sometimes you just have to show him you’re the top rooster in the pen.”
Fighting begins at 7 p.m. at the House of Fury.