By: Sean Crose
Oscar Valdez and Adam Lopez ran it again Saturday evening on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Their first combat, again in 2019, was a little bit of a shock. Valdez ended up stopping his man, however not earlier than Lopez made him style the mat. The 30-1 Valdez wasn’t simply seeking to come again from his first and solely profession loss, which got here courtesy of Shakur Stevenson over a 12 months earlier. then. He was seeking to present the competitiveness of his first combat with the 16-4 Lopez was merely a fluke. The Valdez-Lopez match was scheduled for 10 within the junior light-weight division.
Valdez had a formidable first, stalking his man and touchdown properly. Lopez tried to make one thing occur within the second, although he didn’t appear to have the ability to do a lot – although he had knocked Valdez down as soon as earlier than. What’s extra, Valdez appeared to have a harder time attending to his man all through the spherical. That wasn’t the case for Valdez within the third, nevertheless, as he was capable of land arduous.
Lopez fought slick within the fourth, with some optimistic outcomes. Valdez was capable of get some photographs in, although, which may probably have had a cumulative impact on Lopez because the combat wore on. The fifth confirmed a uncommon talent Valdez had possession of, the flexibility to land when his opponent was stepping again at an angle. Lopez was having his moments, however his punches weren’t as efficient as Valdez’ had been.
The sixth spherical was a greater chapter for Lopez, who was capable of hit and run greater than he beforehand had. The underdog additionally got here alive on Valdez on the finish of the seventh. Unfortunately for Lopez, Valdez’ better energy made him the more practical puncher. All the dancing, operating and showboating Lopez employed within the eighth in all probability bought him nowhere on the decide’s playing cards.
Valdez rocked his man arduous and repeatedly within the ninth. A head butt appeared to have busted Lopez’ nostril early within the tenth. To his credit score, the person stored preventing. Yet Valdez beat on him arduous within the ultimate minute of the spherical. Both males fell, however bought up rapidly. Lopez survived the spherical gamely, however the combat clearly belonged to Valdez.
“Nothing personal,” Valdez stated after being awarded a call win from the judges. “To the contrary. I love Adam Lopez, I love his father.”
