Adam Lopez Could Not Understand Why Everyone In His Locker Room Was Losing

It is now or never for junior lightweight Adam Lopez, who finds himself in a fight he needs to win in order to avoid being relegated to the regional boxing circuit.

Lopez faces Jonhatan Cardoso on Wednesday, as a part of ProBox TV’s Wednesday Night Fights, at the ProBox TV Events in Plant City, Florida. 

Lopez (17-5, 6 KOs) has seen his fair share of career hardships and is in tough as he faces Cardoso (16-1, 15 KOs), a 25-year-old puncher with his own ambitions in the sport. 

“I am still young, and everything I have learned from the top and the bottom, I am using it moving forward and every decision is more calculated,” said Lopez. “I am going to make the rest of my career the best.”

Lopez didn’t know how boxing worked at professional level when he turned over. He took fights, not realizing he was fighting in other people’s backyards, or fighting the promoter’s fighter. He wanted to fight, and he wanted to be on television as quickly as possible. He was taking fights against opponents who had all the advantages; they were the ‘house’ fighter, therefore the promoter’s fighter and the fighter with the support of the crowd.

“When I first turned pro I didn’t know there was an A-sides and B-sides,” said Lopez. “No one told me about that, so I was taking a lot of B-side fights not knowing I was on the B-side. I was always wondering how come everyone in my locker room is losing, and I am the only one winning at this event?”

Training out of Showtime Boxing Fitness in Lake Balboa, California, Lopez is now training with Eric Brown.

“I was at a point in my career where I had just lost to Abraham Nova,” explained Lopez. “I was training with Ivan Castañeda, who is still a very good friend of mine, after that loss we had to split ways.”

Lopez was training himself before he got the call for the Oscar Valdez rematch later that year. He started looking around and, in Brown, he found a trainer he liked.

“He is very humble, he is not very out there,” said Lopez of his coach. “He honestly hates when  interviewers come into the gym. He is not big on publicity.” 

Lopez turned pro in 2016 but could be described as a 28-year-old veteran now. His ProBox TV debut serves as an opportunity to rebuild himself and rebrand himself. Lopez sees himself as a top fighter in his division, but he needs credible wins. Enter Cardoso. 

“I know once I slowly start breaking him down, he won’t be a match for me,” said Lopez. “I have been working very hard for this fight, he won’t be able to hang in there.”