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WBAN's Correspondent and photographer Jessica Trevino poses with the new IBA World Champion Jessica Rakoczy!

 

Lisa Lewis vs. Jessica Rakoczy
The Palace - Lemoore, California
February 19, 2004
 ©Copyrighted photos by Jessica Trevino, and exclusively
covered this event for WBAN.  All Rights Reserved.

Undercard Women's Match...
Nicole Beard vs. Tania Gomez

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    February 19, 2004 - Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore, California -  Jessica Rakoczy won a 10-round unanimous decision over Lisa “Lil Warrior” Lewis and is now the new IBA Lightweight World Champion. 

Steve Cummings of InTheCorner.net reported the following:  “Jessica Rakoczy returned to the ring Thursday night after a 13-month layoff that included an auto accident that left her unable to fight. If there were any questions about how Jessica would be able to recover from the layoff and injury, there aren’t anymore.

Rakoczy put on a dazzling display of skills against Lisa Lewis at The Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore, CA to notch a unanimous 10-round decision and win the IBA lightweight championship. 

The Rakoczy-Lewis matchup was the main event of the Hard Road To Glory show that also saw a victory by rising junior welterweight star Oscar Diaz in the co-main event. George Chung’s American Champion Sports and The Palace promoted the seven-bout show. 

Rakoczy (13-1) finally made her ring return after suffering her first loss to Jenifer Alcorn in January of 2003 and came out of her corner with both guns blazing. A powerful right hand in the early going knocked Lewis (6-8) sideways before she landed on the canvas.

Lewis got up from her first professional knockdown but Rakoczy was back to the attack immediately. The second round saw Jessica tag Lisa with a powerful right hand that hurt the Fresno fighter. As the round wore on, however, Lewis started to find her way inside the long arms of Rakoczy to at least stem the tide of powerful shots that had been steady since the opening bell.

For the duration of the fight, Lewis worked diligently to get inside while Rakoczy did her level best to keep her opponent on the end of her long-range power shots. While Lewis was able to close the gap better as the fight wore on, Rakoczy’s skills were just too sharp and allowed the Las Vegas fighter to dictate the action until the final bell. Scores were 99-90, 100-89 and 100-89, all for Jessica Rakoczy.”   I

n one of the first bouts of the evening the card featured an undercard four-rounder between Tania Gomez vs. Nicole Beard.  Cummings reported the following, “In the first female bout of the evening, lightweights Tania Gomez and Nicole Beard locked horns in an entertaining four-round battle with Gomez earning a unanimous decision.

 The southpaw Gomez landed consistently with her power shots throughout and had Beard’s nose bleeding steadily over the last two rounds. Beard came out strong at the opening bell, throwing combinations as she pressed her opponent.

Tania, who had IFBA featherweight champion Kelsey Jeffries working her corner, used movement to avoid the rush and then began to work her way in with her own attack. A chopping left hand repeatedly found the mark as Gomez controlled the fight.

Official scores were 39-37, 40-36, 39-37, all for Gomez.” Gomez is now 3-1-0, and Beard is 1-8. Also in attendance was Mia “The Knockout” St. JohnSt. John challenged Rakoczy for the IBA belt, and it looks like they will be fighting on April 15, 2004!

 
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