One Wrong Move Doesn’t Cost Boxer Semaza

Except for one missed step, featherweight Mike Semaza of Orange dominated his main-event debut Thursday night at the Irvine Marriott.

Semaza (8-0-1) recovered from a second-round knockdown to beat Javier Torrez of Bell in the seven-round fight in front of 1,120. The scores were 69-64, 68-65, 68-64.

Semaza moved in to throw a punch early in the second round and Torrez flashed a right to Semaza’s jaw. Semaza went down then came right back up, but still received a standing eight count.

“I popped up after throwing a body punch,” Semaza said. “He hit me on the back of the head and it stunned me. But I wasn’t hurt.”

It was the first time in Semaza’s career that he has been down. But Semaza dominated the rest of the way by going to work on the body and head of Torrez (2-12).

Semaza was especially overpowering in the sixth round. He started with a crisp right in the first 10 seconds. He scored mostly with combinations in the middle of the round, then went to work with a strong left uppercut in the closing seconds.

But landing all those punches took a toll on Semaza’s right hand, which was swollen after the fight.

“I don’t know if I broke it,” he said. “I’ll have to get it X-rayed.”

The semi-main event between junior welterweights Efren Granillo of Mexico and Darrin Jollevet of San Dimas ended in a technical draw after four rounds.