A bitter experience in Albania for our Mauro Forte (20-1-2, 8 KO), who lost his European Featherweight Title to the Spaniard Cristobal Lorente (19-0-1, 8 KO) in an outdoor ring set up in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana. The intense fight, full of twists and turns, including a knockdown by the Italian boxer, concluded with a Majority Decision from the judges at the main event organized by Opi2000 of Alessandro Cherchi. The official scorecards read: 114 to 114, 112 to 115 for Lorente, and 113 to 114 for Lorente.
It took just three minutes to understand that it would not be a walk in the park for Mauro Forte: Lorente, making good use of his height and reach advantage, unleashed a hammering and precise left jab right from the first bell, imposing a distance more suitable for him. This tactical situation was not favorable for Forte, who had previously shown in several fights that he felt more comfortable counter-punching, leveraging his excellent counter-attacking skills rather than playing the aggressor. Naturally, the Roman boxer was not discouraged and tried to close the distance, but Lorente was very skilled at evading his assault attempts and countering with quick and precise blows, taking the first three rounds.
The challenge for our boxer, already difficult, was further complicated by a nasty cut near his right eye in the second round, causing heavy bleeding that partially obstructed his vision. Forte did not lose heart and managed to get back on track from the fourth round with an effective but very taxing tactic: the Roman athlete frantically moved his head and torso to avoid the rain of punches from his opponent, occasionally countering with sudden and unpredictable blows.
At the start of the sixth round, the fight encountered a potential turning point. Lorente relaxed a bit too much, lazily throwing a jab in the center ring without properly returning to guard. Forte promptly took advantage, catching him with a left and finishing with another flurry of punches that sent the Spanish boxer to the canvas. The challenger got up and quickly regained his composure but was stunned again in the same round by a right hook, nearly experiencing another knockdown.
Despite his insistent attempts to close the fight, Forte could not afford to overextend his attacks to avoid running out of energy with six more rounds to go. Consequently, Lorente managed to overcome the difficult moment and resumed commanding the bout from a distance starting from the eighth round, continuously jabbing his rival and being careful not to make any further lapses in focus. Lorente’s advantage began to grow.
An extremely courageous Forte pushed himself beyond his limits in the tenth round, desperately trying to force his opponent into close-range exchanges. The task proved particularly challenging, as Lorente displayed considerable physical strength, often freeing his arm during clinches to strike our athlete in the back of the head, with little reaction from the referee, who was too permissive in the circumstances. The Spaniard dominated the final part of the eleventh round and finished better in the last round, earning the judges’ decision.
For Mauro Forte, it was a painful setback against a boxer who showcased the perfect traits to cause him significant trouble. The Roman athlete can still be proud of his determination and for nearly pulling off a technically remarkable move that deserved better fortune. Now, he will need to lick his wounds, calmly study the fight footage, and return with even more grit to attempt a comeback to the top of Europe in the near future. Thirty years old is certainly not too old in contemporary boxing, and if Forte continues to work hard in the gym, he will undoubtedly have his chances for redemption.
Great satisfaction, however, for Cristobal Lorente, who came to this prestigious appointment as a significant underdog, displayed an indomitable character, and boxed with extreme intelligence. The Spaniard also showed his ability to recover from tough moments, a crucial trait in boxing, and can now look to his future with optimism.