The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
48°F
Current Conditions
Scattered clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Baloyi stops Medina

Manuel Medina, left, ties up Cassius Baloyi in the corner during the early rounds of their IBF title fight at Northern Quest Casino Wednesday. (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)
Steve Christilaw Correspondent
Manuel Medina, left, ties up Cassius Baloyi in the corner during the early rounds of their IBF title fight at Northern Quest Casino Wednesday. (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)

For the past several years, South African boxer Cassius Baloyi pursued the International Boxing Federation’s super featherweight championship belt. He traveled from his home in Johannesburg to fight in Great Britain, hoping to earn a shot.

Wednesday night at Northern Quest Casino, Baloyi got his shot at his sought-after prize. By virtue of an 11th-round technical knockout over Manuel Medina in the nationally televised main event, Baloyi will take the belt home to South Africa.

“I’ve wanted this belt for a long time,” Baloyi said. “I thought I had a shot at it last year in a fight with (Medina), but that fight fell through.”

Baloyi, 32-2 with 17 knockouts, adds the IBF crown to his IBO super featherweight title.

Medina, 66-15, was seeking a fourth reign as the IBF champion in his 22nd world title fight. The 35-year-old, who started boxing professionally as a 14-year-old in Tijuana, Mexico, said he’s pretty sure this fight was his last.

“I’m going to talk it over with my manager and my family,” he said through an interpreter. “I’m about 90 percent sure this was my last fight.”

Medina, who wears the scars from 81 professional fights like a badge of honor, started the fight the aggressor, jabbing and pressuring Baloyi, who admitted to starting slow.

“I was tight at the beginning of the fight,” he said. “I needed a couple rounds to get loose and get into the fight.”

Renown for his abilities as a counter puncher, Baloyi relied on that ability throughout the fight. Neither fighter gave ground through the first 10 rounds of the scheduled 12-round bout.

But in the 11th, Baloyi knocked Medina down three times – after the third knockdown, Medina’s corner stepped onto the ring apron and ended the fight.

“I’ve fought more skilled fighters in my career,” Medina said. “I didn’t feel any of his punches until the ninth round. He’s a good fighter and a strong puncher, but he just caught me with a lucky punch. That happens.”

Baloyi, who left the ring draped by both belts, plans to defend his new title in both the United States and South Africa.

“This IBF title opens a few doors and hopefully will bring us a few more fights,” manager Brian Mitchell said. “We signed an agreement with the promoter of this fight (Arthur Pellulo and Banner Productions). The nice thing about having the belt is that challengers will have to come to us.”

The fight was only the sixth time Baloyi had fought in the United States and the first time since 1998.

In the co-feature, ex-Republic of Georgia Olympian Koba Gogoladze scored a unanimous decision over Tyrone Harris, a former Golden Gloves champ, in a 10-round super featherweight bout.

In other fights, super middleweight Luis Lopez defeated Richard Paige by a unanimous decision. Alonzo Butler scored a second-round TKO over Travis Fulton. Welterweights Jacob Ruffin and Nate Smith fought to a four-round draw, and cruiserweight Nelson Zepeda scored a TKO over Rodney Moore.