Lopez and Vargas Win at Fantasy Springs, Arnoutis Gets Head Butted into Obscurity
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Indio, CA (December 15th, 2013)–In the main event on a nine bout card at Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, California, televised on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes in the Golden Boy Live! Series on Friday night, December 13, 2013, Josesito ‘The Riverside Rocky’ Lopez came off the canvas won an inspiring crossroads welterweight bout over a faded Mike Arnoutis.
Lopez, now 31-6, 18 knockouts, Riverside, California, a loser of three of his last four bouts, and Arnoutis, 24-10-2, 11 knockouts, Queens, New York by way of Athens, Greece, a loser of seven of his last 10 bouts, fought a dizzy affair, go toe-to-toe in heated ring exchanges while going round and round as the ring was not cut off. Lopez landed 118 of 606 punches, a horrible 19% accurate rate, and got knocked down by Arnoutis near the end of the second round. Arnoutis landed 91 of 303 punches overall, a 26% work rate, and was more conservative with his punches. Lopez just barely did outwork Arnoutis to win this bout on the cards.
An accidental head butt by Lopez on Arnoutis left Arnoutis a bloody mess and boxing blind for the rest of the round by his own admission. When the round ended, Arnoutis told the ringside physician to stop the bout as he could not see, prompting the ringside physician to have referee Raul Caiz Jr. halt the bout and send it to the scorecards.
Arnoutis was scheduled to find another bout in his native Athens, Greece against 30-20-1 Kakhaber Avetisian on December 21, 2013. Arnoutis’ eye cut puts that bout in jeopardy.
Result: Josesito Lopez Technical Win 8 Mike Arnoutis, Welterweights
Lopez accidental head butt on Arnoutis causes bad cut above left eye, sends bout to cards
Scoring: 77-74, 77-74, 76-75 Lopez / Referee Raul Caiz Jr. stops bout between rounds
Fantasy Springs Casino Undercard Bouts
Francisco Vargas Win 10 Jerry Belmontes, Super Featherweights (100-89, 100-89, 100-89)
Vargas retains the NABF and WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight titles
Hugo Centeno Jr. TKO 9 Angel Osuna, Light Middleweights (0:52)
Errol Spence Referee’s Technical Decision 1 Pipino Cuevas Jr., Welterweights (3:00)
Joseph Diaz TKO 7 Carlos Rodriguez, Super Bantamweights (1:13)
Jermall Charlo KO 5 Joseph De Los Santos, Light Middleweights (0:29)
Kevin Watts KO 2 Alejandro Artiaga, Light Welterweights (1:26)
Diego De La Hoya TKO 1 Abraham Rubio, Super Bantamweights (2:33)
Stephan Shaw (Debut) TKO 1 Jose Hermosillo, Heavyweights (0:47)
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