Angelo Leo claimed each the IBF featherweight title and a spot on the high of 2024’s Knockouts of the 12 months with a surprising one-punch knockout of Luis Alberto Lopez.
Leo (24-1, 11 KO), preventing in his native Albuquerque, got here out with a transparent and efficient gameplan: work the jab, punish Lopez’s (30-3, 17 KO) wild swings, drive his method inside with physique photographs, and tie up earlier than Lopez can reply again. Regardless of this, Lopez stored issues aggressive all through along with his trademark awkward flurries, discovering explicit success with the rear uppercut as Leo dipped his method inside. Rounds usually got here right down to who might seize the initiative first, leading to fixed momentum swings that left the struggle up for grabs because the championship rounds approached.
Partway by means of the tenth, Lopez fired a jab and dropped his proper hand within the course of, permitting Leo to come back again with a completely excellent left hook that immediately turned “Venado’s” lights out. Lopez’s head slammed into the mat, 100% out chilly, and barely managed to regain a fraction of consciousness by the point the rely hit 10.
The 30-year-old Leo, who missed out on almost two and a half years of his preventing prime, is now formally a two-division champion. He got here in with the correct plan, continued to execute regardless of Lopez’s greatest efforts, and wound up flattening one of many extra notoriously sturdy featherweights within the sport.
As for Lopez, his lackadaisical strategy to protection lastly caught up with him. His energy and singular fashion weren’t sufficient to bail him out, leaving his technical shortcomings on the forefront. He’s acquired some rebuilding to do; he’ll by no means be a traditional boxer and shouldn’t attempt to be one, because it doesn’t play to his strengths, however he completely must tighten issues up now that he can not belief his chin.
As an apart, I need to level out referee Ernie Sharif’s poor efficiency. Sharif was inconsistent in calling various low blows and rabbit punches and lacked any kind of authority, providing little greater than stern warnings and the occasional chastisement. He wasn’t outfitted for this kind of rough-and-tumble struggle.
Lindolfo Delgado out-slugs Bryan Flores in battle of unbeatens
2016 Olympian Lindolfo Delgado stored his spotless report intact with a hard-fought cut up determination over the very sport Bryan Flores.
Delgado (21-0, 15 KO) acquired off to a considerably sluggish begin, however caught the super-aggressive Flores (26-1-1, 15 KO) coming in with a chopping proper for a flash knockdown within the third. Relatively than capitalize on his benefit, he elected to stay in cruise management, permitting Flores to grab the reins with fixed exercise and attention-grabbing energy photographs.
Delgado wakened some within the sixth, exhibiting off audibly more durable punches, and acquired a lucky break within the seventh when Flores, recent off a warning for a low blow, acquired docked a degree when a left hand bounced off Delgado’s elbow and into his groin.
The motion was regular, albeit not terribly engrossing, however quickly picked up significantly. The pair spent the previous couple of rounds buying and selling at point-blank vary, Flores leaning on mauling clinch work and Delgado on highly effective combos. Flores appeared to expire of steam within the ninth, solely to come back out reinvigorated and placed on a extremely aggressive closing spherical.
Regardless of that surge, Delgado’s late efforts had been sufficient to get him very justifiable 96-92 and 95-93 scorecards. The third, a 96-92 for Flores from Chris Tellez, was borderline indefensible.
Delgado doesn’t look like a risk to the division elite, but when he can begin extra shortly and ratchet up his output, he’s acquired the instruments to provide anybody a tricky out. As for Flores, I hope to see extra of him on future Prime Rank playing cards.
