Lora Takes Beating but Defeats Vazquez to Retain WBC Title

Although he looks a lot worse for the wear, Miguel (Happy) Lora of Colombia is still the World Boxing Council’s bantamweight champion after winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Wilfredo Vazquez Saturday night at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Lora, making his first defense, withstood a knockdown and a battered right eye that was swollen shut for the final four rounds of the 12-round bout.

Lora started the fight strong and used a left hook to knock Vazquez down in the second round.

But the challenger from Puerto Rico came back to knock Lora down with a left to the chin in the fourth round.

Lora tired in the middle rounds, and by the ninth round his left eye was swollen shut and his nose was bludgeoned. But the unbeaten champion (24-0) took charge in the late rounds, cutting Vazquez below both eyes and using his defensive skills to avoid further damage.

Lora, who won the title with a unanimous decision over Daniel Zaragosa of Mexico last August, makes his home in Miami. He weighed in at 118 pounds, while Vazquez was 117 3/4.

Vazquez record is 24-2-2.