Angelo Leo became a two-division titleholder Saturday with a spectacular 10th-round knockout of IBF featherweight titleholder Luis Alberto Lopez at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Leo, fighting in his hometown of Albuquerque, landed a highlight-reel left hook that countered a lazy jab from Lopez, dropping the belt holder to the canvas. Lopez was counted out at 1:16 of the round as Leo flashed a smirk, knowing he had sealed the victory.
Leo (25-1, 12 KOs) set the tone early, outlanding Lopez (30-3, 17 KOs) 13-10 in the first round, driven by the passionate local crowd. Leo, 30, continued to target the body in the second round, landing a right hand that backed up Lopez, 30, who responded with a smile but failed to return fire as Leo consistently beat him to the punch.
In the third round, Leo’s lateral movement and body work kept Lopez, of Mexicali, Mexico, off balance – although Leo’s right eye began to show signs of bruising. The fourth round saw Leo push Lopez back, with Lopez struggling to find his range as Leo’s precise punching took control. Despite Lopez’s attempts to rally in the fifth, landing some effective uppercuts, Leo’s right hand continued to find its mark, keeping Lopez at bay.
As the fight progressed, Leo’s punch volume decreased slightly, but his accuracy remained sharp. Lopez appeared to be waiting for a moment to turn the tide, but the moment never came. Leo’s effective aggression and superior technique frustrated Lopez, who looked to the referee after a sequence of punches in the sixth, seemingly searching for a break that didn’t come.
By the ninth round, a cut had opened over Leo’s bruised right eye, but Lopez’s usual power and effectiveness were absent. Leo, having the best night of his career, continued to outwork Lopez on the inside, making the titleholder look uncharacteristically crude.
The dramatic finish came in the 10th, when Leo delivered a perfectly timed left hook that will almost certainly be remembered as a defining moment in his career. With the knockout victory, Leo not only claimed a second title but also delivered a performance that will be replayed for years to come, achieving every boxer’s dream of winning a championship in front of their hometown crowd.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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