Danny 'Little Red' Lopez ~ Career

[Bill Paxtom]

Friday ~ December 5, 1975

~ Ruben Olivares Wants Comeback Bout ~

Former 2-Time Bantamweight and 2-Time Featherweight Champion - Ruben Olivares wants
a comeback bout, before facing Danny 'Little Red' Lopez again.

Olivares who was floored '4-Times, and stopped {KO'd} in Round 7 on Thursday Night, wants
a 'tune-up' bout in February 1976, before signing a contract to face Lopez in a rematch for
sometime in the Spring of next year.

Ruben Olivares >
I'll take 60-Days off, and get back 'on the-wagon'. No more Beer for me. I want a comeback
bout in late-February {75-Days} to see where I'm at. Then I'll make a decision to either fight
Danny again, or go up to the 130 lb. Super-Featherweight Division.

[Bill Paxtom]

January 1976 Featherweight Rankings


WBC .................................................. . WBA
*** David Kotey ..................................... Alexis Arguello
#1 . Alexis Arguello ................................ Art Hafey
#2 . Octavio 'Famoso' Gomez .................. David Kotey
#3 . Art Hafey ........................................ Elio Cotena
#4 . Elio Cotena ..................................... Danny Lopez
#5 . Salvador Torres ............................... Leonel Hernandez
#6 . Shig Fukuyama ............................... Ruben Olivares
#7 . Danny Lopez ................................... Shig Fukuyama
#8 . Francisco Coronado ......................... Royal Kobayashi
#9 . Raul Silva ....................................... Octavio 'Famoso' Gomez
#10 Flipper Uehara ................................. Arnold Taylor

[Bill Paxtom]

January 11, 1976

~ Don Fraser Signs Up Danny Lopez To Face Teenager- Sean O'Grady ~

The battle is set for February 25, 1976 at The Forum in Inglewood.

Danny Lopez with a record of 28-3-0 {27 KO's} risks his World Rating and a chance for
a World Championship by taking on the undefeated O'Grady.

'Little Red' {Age; 23 years, 7 months} has been listed as a {10-7} Favorite to put a
blemish on O'Grady's undefeated record.

Lopez is ranked as the #4 WBA and #7 WBC Featherweight.

Howie Steindler >
We figure that this kid {Sean O"Grady} will give Danny some trouble for 3 or 4 Rounds. He's
a very good boxer, has good speed, and hits fairly well for a teenager.

But Danny's strength and punching-power will start to take over by the 4th Round. I expect
Danny to put the kid away somewhere between the 5th and 7th Rounds.

[Bill Paxtom]

January 11, 1976

~ Don Fraser Signs Up Danny Lopez To Face Teenager- Sean O'Grady ~

The battle is set for February 25, 1976 at The Forum in Inglewood.

Danny Lopez with a record of 28-3-0 {27 KO's} risks his World Rating and a chance for
a World Championship by taking on the undefeated O'Grady.

'Little Red' {Age; 23 years, 7 months} has been listed as a {10-7} Favorite to put a
blemish on O'Grady's undefeated record.

Lopez is ranked as the #4 WBA and #7 WBC Featherweight.

Howie Steindler >
We figure that this kid {Sean O"Grady} will give Danny some trouble for 3 or 4 Rounds. He's
a very good boxer, has good speed, and hits fairly well for a teenager.

But Danny's strength and punching-power will start to take over by the 4th Round. I expect
Danny to put the kid away somewhere between the 5th and 7th Rounds.

Sean O'Grady 'The Green Machine'

When Pat 'Papa' O'Grady signed Sean up for this bout on January 11, 1976 > Sean was not
even {Age; 18}. He was till a month away from '18'.

Pat 'Papa' O'Grady >
Sure my son is my 'meal ticket'. But this is an opportunity for a great fight purse. And if we do
well, Don Fraser {Fight Promoter for The Forum} said he will bring us back here.

Sean has had '27-Bouts' in only 14-Months. And, he has scored '11' 1st Round Knockouts. Yes,
some of the guys he fought were just 'show up' guys, but he still put them away.

Sean is ranked as the #9 WBA Bantamweight, but he's really fighting at a weight of 122 lbs. And,
we can't find anybody decent in the Southwest to fight him. That is why we are here in California.

We were offered a bout with the 20 1/2 year-old Mexican - Guadalupe 'Lupe' Pintor. He's 14-0-0
with {11 KO's}, and he's ranked as the #10 Flyweight. But he's moving up in weight, and win over
him won't help us.

I'd rather have Sean fight and 'lose' to Danny Lopez, than have a tough-tangle with Lupe Pintor.

Simply put, I'd rather lose to Danny Lopez than to Lupe Pintor.

[Bill Paxtom]

[Bill Paxtom]

~ The Skinny ~

After Pat 'Papa' O'Grady signed this contract on January 11, 1976 > he went back to
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

He had Sean fight '2' more times at the 'Red Carpet Inn' in Oklahoma City.
* January 20, 1976 ....... KO 1 .... Ken Conners ~ 3-2-0 {0 KO's}
* February 3, 1976 ....... KO 1 ..... Luis Martinez ~ 5-4-0 {2 KO's}

Sean had turned {Age; 18} on February 10th.

Sean now had a record of 29-0-0 {25 KO's}. The O'Grady's were scheduled to arrive in
Los Angles on Monday ~ February 16th for 8-Days of Training at the Main Street Gym for
the bout on Wednesday ~ February 25th.

Pat O'Grady had signed a Fight Weight contract, which stipulated a 'maximum' weight of
125 lbs. The insiders stated that Sean would probably be at 122 lbs. and would be giving
up at least a few pounds to Danny Lopez.

At 5' 9 1/4" > Sean O'Grady looked as frail as a 'weak-legged' just born Fawn.

As for a Fight Purse, Pat O'Grady got an 'up-front' fee of $5000 for Sean. Plus > 20% of
the Gate Receipts, which were expected to reach near $100,000.

Pat 'Papa' O'Grady >
They are concerned that I'm putting Sean in the Ring for a couple of bouts, before coming
back out to California.

Look, it will cost me {$200 a Week} to get somebody to spar with Sean. I'd rather put him
in the Ring, where he can make a few Hundred Dollars, while also getting a good work-out.

[Bill Paxtom]

Wednesday ~ February 25, 1976

The Forum ~ Inglewood, California

Promoter .............. Don Fraser
Attendance ........... 7894
Gate Receipts ....... $98,000

Danny 'Little Red' Lopez - 28-3-0 {27 KO's} ~ 5' 7 1/2" ~ 126 lbs. ~ Reach; 70" ~ {Age; 23 years, 7 months}
vs.
Sean O'Grady 'The Green Machine' - 29-0-0 {25 KO's} ~ 5' 9 1/4" ~ 123 lbs. ~ Reach; 70" ~ {Age; 18 years, 0 months}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ The Skinny ~

Danny Lopez had opened up as a {10-7} Betting-Favorite when this bout was announced back on
January 11th.

Danny was now listed as an overwhelming {8-1} Betting-Favorite.

Sean O'Grady, who had been sparring at the Main Street Gym for 8-Days, had displayed fine hand-speed
and good boxing skills. But at {5' 9 1/4"}, he looked frail {beyond belief} and lacked any real strength
during the sparring sessions.

The Boxing Pundits did agree that Sean O'Grady's fast-hands and quick-footwork will give Danny Lopez
some trouble for a few Rounds. But, Lopez' power will take over after a couple of Rounds.

Pat 'Papa' O'Grady >
Look, I know that we can't out-punch Danny Lopez and win. But Sean can out-box him by using fast-punches
and movement.

We'll see where we are at after the 5th Round. I told Sean that he has to take this fight into the 6th or 7th Round
to win. We can out-box Lopez down the stretch and maybe edge out a 10-Round Decision.

Fight Purses
Danny Lopez > $6500 {Up Front Guarantee} + 20% of the Gate Receipts = $26,100
Sean O'Grady > $5000 {Up Front Guarantee} + 20% of the Gate Receipts = $24,600