Jirov tops Munson at Worley

WORLEY, Idaho – Make no mistakes. Vassiliy Jirov is a cruiserweight.

But so is Spokane’s Luke Munson.

Jirov, a former world cruiserweight champion and the 1996 light heavyweight Olympic champion, scored a unanimous decision over Munson in the main event of a fight card at the Coeur d’Alene Casino’s House of Fury Thursday.

Jirov, who made an unsuccessful foray into the heavyweight division – where the paydays are bigger – knocked Munson down in the fifth round, but was knocked down himself in the final round.

A southpaw, Jirov proved an elusive target early rounds while bloodying Munson’s nose early and opening a cut over his left eye late in the fight.

Jirov, who has lost only once under 200 pounds, improved to 36-3-1. The seven-month layoff since his last fight showed as Jirov tired noticeably late in the fight.

While Munson lost the decision, he gained in experience and showed himself ready to take his career to the next level.

In a rematch of his only professional loss, Sandpoint’s Favio Medina (10-1-2) scored a unanimous, eight-round decision over Kellogg’s Danny Brownson (4-2)

Brownson, who throws a right hook that starts north of Sandpoint and winds through Post Falls before connecting with his opponent, landed one such punch in the first fight, knocking out Medina in his second professional bout and Medina’s third.

Since that first meeting, Medina has fought regularly while Brownson had a 27-month layoff before stepping into the ring Thursday.

Medina scored regularly, knocking Brownson down in the second round and sending to his corner on wobbly legs in four of the first five rounds.

Worley’s hometown fighter, Frank Bybee won his first professional fight since being recertified by the Idaho Boxing Commission.

With just three wins in nine fights and after being bloodied regularly by opponents, Bybee was retired by his home state’s commission and was barred from fighting anywhere in the country.

After gathering medical clearance and signing on with a trainer, Bybee has come back to fight twice in 2006, looking much improved in the process.

Thursday, Bybee scored a unanimous decision over Spokane’s Brandon Anderson to run his record 4-7.