Sometimes the loser makes a bigger impression than the winner.
That might’ve been the case on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, where Oscar Valdez was outboxed by replacement opponent Adam Lopez, went down in the second round and scored what arguably was a premature knockout in the seventh round of a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight bout he was losing on the cards.
Valdez did rally. And a victory is a victory, which keeps Valdez on course for a title shot in his new division. But those who watched the fight probably were talking more about Lopez than Valdez afterward.
Lopez was scheduled to fight another opponent at 126 pounds on the card but agreed at the last minute to replace Andres Gutierrez as Valdez’s foe after Gutierrez missed weight by 11 pounds.
Of course, it was a big assignment, taking on a hard-punching, longtime featherweight champion with only 14 pro fights under your belt. No one would’ve been shocked if the fight had ended the first time Valdez landed a punch.
Instead, Lopez looked like the better boxer, using his quickness, mobility and obvious ring acumen to frustrate Valdez for much of the fight. In other words, Lopez looked a lot like his late father, the slick Mexican Olympic silver medalist and pro contender Hector Lopez.
And the younger Lopez obviously can punch. He put Valdez down with a half hook-half uppercut about two minutes into Round 2. Valdez seemed more embarrassed than hurt but Lopez had made a statement.
After that, his confidence soaring, Lopez demonstrated that a quick, skillful boxer will give Valdez trouble, particularly when Valdez has only 30 hours to prepare to fight him.
But, to Valdez’s credit, he never became desperate. He simply continued what he had been doing since the opening bell, patiently stalking Lopez, landing punishing shots to the head or body when he could, looking for any opportunity to hurt him.
That finally came late in Round 7, when a crushing left hook disrupted his brain function and an overhand right sent him flying into the ropes for a knockdown. Lopez got up, defended himself as best he could and seemed to be on his way to surviving the round.
But a flurry from Valdez in the final seconds prompted referee Russell Mora to jump between the fighters and stop the fight. There were only 7 seconds left in the round.
Many will argue that Mora stepped in too soon because Lopez seemed to have his wits about him, wasn’t taking an inordinate amount of punishement and the round was about to end. Others will say that it’s better to stop a fight one punch too soon rather one too late.
Alas, Valdez (27-0, 21 knockouts) did what he came to do, win the fight and put himself in position to challenge for a 130-pound title. He hopes to fight highly respected titleholder Miguel Berchelt, who was on hand Saturday.
“I was very surprised,” said Valdez, referring to the second-round knockdown. “I take my hat off to him. He’s a great fighter, a great warrior, just like his father was. I just got hit. This is boxing. I prepared two, three months for Gutierrez but no excuses. That kid is a warrior.
“… My experience made me win the fight. I had a great amateur background, a lot more experience than him.”
Lopez (13-2, 6 KOs) was devastated afterward, particularly because of the stoppage.
“He hurt me but I was up and fine, blocking shots (after the knockdown),” he said. “I think he caught me one time. The referee just jumped in and stopped it. I would’ve been fine. I think I was up on the cards. It’s a shame. This is boxing. Nothing I can do about it.
“I’d like a rematch. I’m not a 130-pounder but I’m a real fighter. I’ll take on anyone, anywhere.”
In time, Lopez probably will see he accomplished more in defeat than many fighters do in victory. He demonstrated admirable skill and poise for a such a young fighter. He’s only 23. This defeat could be the start of something big for him.
He was asked afterward whether he thinks he made his father proud of him. He responded with a shaky voice, “I’m sure he’s up there smiling.”