By Jake Donovan
At first glance, the initial beef of an ESPN2 telecast abandoning its customary Friday evening slot and instead airing on a Saturday is that it comes on already loaded night. Live boxing action can also be found on HBO, Fox Sports Español and pay-per-view, with all of the shows airing within a 90-minute time span.
The good thing about ESPN2’s Saturday night special edition is that, at worst, it will merely conflict with the co-feature slot of the aforementioned telecasts. The show airs live at 9PM ET from the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California, which means it’s fair game for viewers and the other networks by 11PM ET.
Even better news is that the telecast features fresh faces in compelling fights, rather than the usual suspects in fights with all-but-pre-determined outcomes.
Topping the bill is Orlando Lora, an undefeated welterweight who signed with Gary Shaw Productions late last year. The night will mark his third appearance under the GSP banner, but first in front of the cameras, as he faces divisional gatekeeper David Estrada.
A quick glance at his record doesn’t make it immediately clear whether or not Lora will turn out to be the truth. But then, that’s the beauty of fighting for Gary Shaw – you will find out for yourself a lot sooner than later whether or not you can fight.
Alfredo Angulo and Tyrone Brunson will be two of the first to attest to that, though the list hardly ends there. Both fighters suffered the first losses of their respective careers last year – Angulo dropping a decision to Kermit Cintron on HBO, while Brunson was manhandled by Carson Jones on Showtime’s Shobox series.
It’s never just about losing, but more so your ability to bounce back from adversity. Angulo showed his mettle in storming back with a pair of knockout wins, and is slated to appear in a junior middleweight crossroads bout with Joel Julio later this month on HBO.
There’s no telling if Brunson will be back – the loss to Jones was his last appearance in the ring, with nothing presently in queue.
Adversity isn’t merely limited to bouncing back from a loss, however. There’s a good chance that Lora’s fighting heart will be tested this weekend, as Estrada has repeatedly proven to be a tough out for just about anyone in or around the welterweight division.
On paper, it’s easily the toughest test to date for the 29-year old Lora (26-0-1, 18KO), though not completely unfamiliar with the concept of challenging himself.
The scrappy Mexican conceded home court advantage in what presently serves as the biggest win of his career for the moment, a highlight-reel 7th round knockout of Favio Medina last February in the latter’s hometown of Worley, Idaho. Lora scored knockdowns early and late, but found himself in a firefight throughout before forcing the stoppage midway through the seventh round of their scheduled 12-rounder.
While Medina might not exactly serve as a household name, the win was enough to put Lora in demand before landing with Shaw. Two wins have followed - both coming against nondescript opposition, in preparation of plans for a major unveiling in 2010.
Riding with Shaw, appearances on Showtime are all but a lock for the future. In order to get from here to there, however, he’ll need to show something against Estrada (23-6, 14KO), a hardened veteran who refuses to go away quietly.
The latest rumors may suggest that Estrada is closing in on the twilight of his career, but the Florida-based boxer has been written off plenty of times before. He was believed to be done after suffering back-to-back losses against Shane Mosley and Kermit Cintron. The fights came approximately one year apart, which only made it that much longer since anyone remembered his last win at that particular moment.
Stoppage losses to Andre Berto and especially fringe contender Jesus Soto-Karass all but penned his death sentence. Oddly enough, it was yet another loss that managed to momentarily resuscitate his career – giving undefeated prospect Luis Abregu a serious run for his money late in 2008 before coming up just short on the scorecards.
Estrada has only fought once since then, a 6th round stoppage over journeyman Chris Gray last summer. He’ll enter Saturday’s contest having not fought in eight months, which could either work against him (ring rust) or only make him that much more dangerous – or at the very least, desperate.
Win or lose, Estrada certainly won’t be coming just to lie down, which means one of two things – either Lora wins in a legitimate test, thus adding one more viable candidate to an already richly talented welterweight division; or he finds out that he’s not as good as his record, thus giving Estrada an upset win and one more payday, and forcing Lora to decide whether he’s more along the lines of Angulo or Brunson in dealing with the aftermath.
Such a fight would’ve been a welcome addition to what ultimately becomes an empty Friday night. But we’ll gladly settle for the consolation prize, which is a refreshing change of pace for a prospect-based matchup on a Saturday night.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .
