Saul Canelo Alvarez vs. Josesito Lopez Recap by Tony Stewart

By: Tony Stewart


FULL FIGHT



The 154 lb WBC Super Welterweight Championship fight between Josesito Lopez and Canelo Alvarez went exactly as many anticipated. The heavy-handed boxer-punching Canelo Alvarez showed a wide array of combination punches against a game but ultimately overmatched Josesito Lopez with a fifth round stoppage via body shot. Canelo Alvarez’s record improved (41-0-1, 30 KOs) while Josesito dropped to (30-5).

Josesito had upset the Golden Boy apple-cart by showing a Rocky-esque toughness against Victor Ortiz, beating him in a possible fight-of-the-year upset win. Off of that win Oscar De La Hoya immediately set up a fight between his star Mexican attraction and Lopez who had previously only fought at no higher than 140 lbs.

From the opening round the fight matched the script many envisioned it would take; with Canelo imposing his will on the smaller Lopez while showing a wide variety of punches and a superb use of power. Despite being the stronger fighter Canelo fought with a calm and poise not commonly seen in younger fighters, an evidence of his extensive amateur background.

Taking nothing away from Josesito Lopez, he epitomized the heart of a warrior. He stood in as long as he could throwing a barrage of punches, and while a number of them landed, the impact they made was as good as pebbles being tossed against a brick wall. Nothing made a dent. Lopez showed his mettle, that is, until a savage body shot sent him crashing to the canvass.

While he rose slowly from the canvass, the look etched across his face said only one thing, “this was going to be a long night.”

Lopez was game, he mounted a spirited comeback after that first knock down at the end of the second. Canelo was having none of it. He pressed his attack stalking Lopez behind his huge advantage in the power punching department landing combination after combination to the body. A 3-punch combination ending with a left hook to the body sat Lopez down once again on the canvass. Lopez again climbed to his feet and without blinking an eye, he re-engaged the champion knowing the danger and risking his incurring greater damage, he fought valiantly on to finish the third round.

The writing was on the wall it seemed but Lopez wasn’t looking for the easy way out. He had no quit in him, even after visiting the canvass for a third time in four rounds. He re-adjusted and showed his true grit landing a higher number of punches in the fifth round while taking a number of heavy uppercuts and right hand punches, some of which bounced off his gloves. However with 10 seconds left in the round referee Joe Cortez decided he had seen enough and jumped in between them calling an end to the fight.

Canelo Alvarez won by technical knock out to retain his super middleweight title and undefeated record.

Despite the sold out crowd in attendance at the Thomas and Mack center for the Sergio Martinez/Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. middleweight championship fight happening down the street, a decent sized crowd was in attendance to witness the crowd pleasing dominant performance of Canelo Alvarez capping off a great day of boxing commemorating the celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

When asked if it was a case of Canelo simply having too much power Josesito said that “Canelo was the man and that he was fighting way out of his weight element.”

“He proved that he’s the better fighter,” Lopez said. “I felt good going in, but his size is pretty good. There was a big difference. He’s a smart fighter. I was hoping to land some punches, but he was smarter, stronger and patient. I was looking for a good punch to change the momentum.”

In addition to the win against Lopez, Canelo Alvarez was also awarded a $100,000 bonus check for scoring the most impressive knockout of the evening. An incentive provided by Oscar De La Hoya to all the fighters of the evening hoping to inspire the bouts to be conclusively decided and not leaving any of the fights in the hands of the judges. Canelo Alvarez is an offensive monster so being awarded with the knockout of the night was not a huge surprise.

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