Danny 'Little Red' Lopez ~ Career

[Bill Paxtom]

Saturday ~ July 28, 1975

~ Lopez KO's Cruz At The Olympic ~

~ Danny Lopez Gets Win ~

~ 'Little Red' Wins By Kayo In 6th ~

Danny Lopez put away a 'game veteran' Raul Cruz moments into the 6th Round last night at the
Olympic Auditorium in front of 7235 fans.

As with typical fashion, the bout was filled with good exchanges with each fighter getting rocked.

The Mexican - Raul Cruz came out pressing immediately, and 'rocked' Lopez badly with a vicious
right-hand cross to the chin at the {0:18 Mark}.

But 'Little Red' withstood the early charge of the hard-punching slugger, and turned the tide in his
favor by landed with left-jabs and quick '2-Punch' combinations. Lopez then rallied back with a
'non-stop' flurry at the end of the 1st-Round that had the smaller Cruz 'groggy' at the Bell.

Lopez maintained control in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 > as he peppered Cruz with constant '3-Punch'
combinations to the head, as well as swelling up the Mexican's left cheek.

But Cruz was determined, and kept plugging away in trying to turn the bout into a slug-fest as he
connected with occasional left-hooks to the body, and solid right-hand crosses to the chin
{his bread-and-butter punch} to jar Lopez.

Each time that 'Little Red' had Cruz in trouble, the Mexican veteran would smartly 'bend-and-bob'
to avoid the incoming non-stop flurries from Lopez.

Lopez utilized his 4" Height and 5" Reach advantage to continuously out-punch his smaller opponent,
but the Mexican showed courage and heart as he fought back after taking some hard right-hands to
the chin.

In an entertaining Round 5 >

Both fighters met at Center-Ring, and they got into a 'trade-fest' with each landing good blows. Danny
started off by landing a series of 'left-right' punches to the head. But Cruz countered with a 'jarring'
right-cross to Danny's chin at the {0:24 Mark}.

The Olympic Auditorium than started to chant "May-Hee-Co".

Suddenly Danny started to slow down, and his punches lacked zip. Cruz kept pressing, and nailed Danny
with a 'wicked' left-hook to the chin at the {0:55 Mark}.

But Danny hung tough, and rallied strongly with a 'big flurry', and backed Cruz up at the {1:00 Mark}, as
he drove the sturdy Mexican into the left-side Ropes.

Danny continued with a 'steady-barrage', and then drove Cruz into the front-center Ropes, where he looked
to be in serious trouble at the {1:20 Mark} as Danny continued with relentless attack.

Raul Cruz was 'groggy' at the {1:38 Mark}, and he looked ready to go as he was pinned on the front Ropes
as Danny worked him over up to the {1:48 Mark}.

Suddenly, Cruz worked himself off the Ropes, and came back with {back-to-back} 'left-right' punches to the
chin that backed Danny up.

Cruz then caught Danny with a left hook/uppercut and right-hand to the chin at the {2:00 Mark}, and now
suddenly Danny was 'stunned' at Center-Ring.

Raul then moved in, and forced Danny to back up to the left-side Ropes where he mauled him up to the
{2:15 Mark}.

Both fighters went toe-to-toe for the next 15-Seconds, as the 'gritty' Mexican-veteran pounded away at
Lopez.

But Danny rallied back, and suddenly had Cruz on the left-side Ropes at the {2:43 Mark}. Danny then
unloaded with a barrage, and Cruz wobbled backwards into the back Ropes. Danny wailed away on
a weary Cruz until the Bell sounded ending Round 5.

At the Bell, Raul Cruz tapped Danny in acknowledgement of a good Round.

Raul walked back to his corner with a badly bruised left-cheek.