Show Wins title In Ghana Danny Lopez captures world championship The Uintah Basin ga gained ned a world champion boxer November 6 as Danny Little Red Lopez 24 bruised and battered the defending World Boxing Council Featherweight Champion David Kotey of Ghana for a unanimous 15 IS round decision Lopez was born boni in Roosevelt and lived With his ad adopted parents Mr and Mrs Deon Moon in Jensen until he was 14 years old He is now a native of Alhambra California KOTEY'S FIGHT with Lopez was his fourth title defense Lopez said that he had predicted before the fight that he would knock out Kotey in the seventh round When Lopez arrived in Ghana for the battle with Kotey he was asked if he was still going with his prediction Lopez said that he was and that caused Kotey to become extremely upset The first round he Kotey wanted to kill me Kotey was angry about Lopez knockout prediction It paid off because he came in close to fight and I Iwas I Iwas Iwas was able to score a lot of pun punches ches I almost knocked him out From rounds 7 to 15 it was all my fight He was staggering and one round even went to the wrong corner remarked Lopez Lopez was ahead by by five rounds on every card as he won the Featherweight Championship match going aw away y Kotey took a fierce beating from Lopez as his eyes were swollen shut his cheeks were puffed up and his upper lip w was split an an inch He had to have 30 stitches to repair his upper lip an and was just recently released from the hospital Lopez received a black and blue lue left eye that required four tour stitches and a slightly black right eye in the battle for forthe the championship and the purse The fight began in Ghana a country in West Africa at midnight and Lopez turned off the lights off for Kotey with a knock down in the eighth round I I knocked him down in the eighth round with a l left ft hook It was the only knock down of the fight He got a couple of good ones against Lopez in the early rounds He gave me a a good cut cut- cutin in th the ther seventh that rd required four Coin om omme me zO I tl w ll-w h ACCORDING to Lopez the fight should have been stopped but Kotey Koley was the first ever world champion from Ghana and the people were hoping that tha t the he would get in a lucky punch and retain his title Lopez said that if the fight had been held in inthe inthe inthe the United States Stales it would not have been allowed to last the entire fifteen rounds The professional boxing career by Lopez began In in early that time Lopez has a record of 31 wins an and 3 losses The featherweight has won thirty of his fights by knockouts When asked for his comments on winning his World Boxing Council Featherweight title Lopez stated I It qt It was quite an experience experienc It was the first time Iv Ive I've even been in front of people Th The fight was in ina a big soccer stadium The ring was in n the middle of the stadium I shed tears when I won the title Its It's something that I had been after for a long time Lopez said that among the there were only 15 Americans at the fight Lopez said that he imitated his brother rl Ernie Indi Indian n. n Red Lopez boxing style I I dont don't get hit that tha t much When a aguy aguy aguy guy throws a punch I am able tto to counter it it U. I feel I have a harder punch than Ernie Ernie retired from professional boxing last year THE TilE NEW woe Featherweight Feather- Feather weight Champion Danny Lopez said that he is a pressure and power fighter Lopez said that he tries to throw as many punches as possible I try to knock them out remarked LopezLopez LopezLopez LopezLopez Lopez Lopez first title defense will willbe willbe willbe be in February or early March of 1977 in the Inglewood Forum in Los Las Angeles California One of the fighters for a possible championship match that Howie Los Angeles and Lopez are looking at is Elio Elior r i Cotena Catena of Italy who is listed as the number three contender con con- tender as of September 28 Lopez manager will select the opponent for Lopez runs the Main Street Gym in Los Angeles The fighter picked for the match with Lopez has to be in the top ten listin listing of contenders It feels great Now I can canname canname canname name me the mom money and J the op op- p The pi purses will be up in the stated staled Lopez IN ORDER for Lopez to gain his shot at the title on November 6 he had to fight Irish Art Hafey of Canada Lopez knocked out Hafey in the seventh round last August Lopez last loss was to Gomez of Mexico in January 1975 Gomez defeated Lopez in ten rounds Since that loss in 1975 Lopez has won eight straight fights Some of his wins besides the title win over Kotey and the victory over Hafey were a a second round knockout of Castillo of Mexico a a third round knockout of Gomez Mexico a seventh round knockout of Ruben Olivares of Mexico and a fourth round knockout of undefeated Sean OGrady of Oklahoma In order for the boxer to be able to stay in the featherweight division his weight cannot surpass pounds t r F F fp j dai d ai A J f fiu cn r. r Li L i DANNY CANNY LITTLE RED REC LOPEZ former Uintah Basin resident scored a 15 round decision over David Kotey of Ghana last month Lopez is now the World Boxing Council Featherweight Featherweight Featherweight Feather Feather- weight Champion |