Danny 'Little Red' Lopez ~ Career

[Bill Paxtom]

November 23, 1976

Howie Steindler {Manager for Danny Lopez}

We did sign a 'rematch clause' with David Kotey. We had to, to get the Championship Bout
in the first place.

They have 90-Days to come up with an acceptable contract. I know they offered Danny an
$80,000 Check at the 'after-fight' Press Conference.

But, I'm not 100% sure if we would go back to Accra, Ghana. We can have the bout right
here at The Forum for the same fight purse.

We also have been talking to the Italian - Elio Cotena. He's the European Champion, and
he has moved into the #1 WBC position now. He has 'one more' Title Defense lined for
December 3rd. If he wins, we may make our 1st Title Defense against him, early next year.

We'll see what happens with David Kotey. But he was so battered and beat up on November 6th,
I don't think he'd be ready for a fight in February 1977.

And Danny has some problems with his right-hand. We're not sure if it is a bad bone bruise, or
bone-chips. We have been told by our Physician to rest it for 5-Weeks, and then we'll have
it re-examined at the end of December.

After the examination, we will make a decision on which bout to go with.

[Bill Paxtom]

January 23, 1977

~ Howie Steindler Has A World Champion At Last ~

According to reports >

The rematch with former Champion - David Kotey was in the works. But, the Kotey Camp had to get
the contracts together by February 6, 1977 {90-days after their 1st bout}.

The Ghanan Promoters had put $80,000 on the table to Manager - Howie Steindler. But Howie wanted
a few more bucks and {some assurances}, otherwise he would take Danny's '1st-Title' defense to Don Fraser
and The Forum.

The other issue, was that David Kotey was still not ready for a bout, as he was still recovering from the
beating he took on November 6, 1976 {2 1/2 Months earlier}.

Howie said, that if they could not work out negotiations, they would look elsewhere. This really got
the Ghanan Promoters 'pissed off'.



WBC Ratings

*** Danny Lopez
#1 . David Kotey
#2 . Pedro Nino Jiminez .............. European Champion {from Spain}
#3 . Rafael Ortega ...................... WBA Champion {from Panama}
#4 . Art Hafey ............................ Canadian Champion
#5 . Francisco Toro Coronado ...... Central American and Nicaraguan Champion
#6 . Ernesto Herrera .................... #1 Mexican and #1 NABF Featherweight
#7 . Jose Torres .......................... #2 Mexican and #2 NABF Featherweight
#8 . Shuzo Yoshida ..................... Japanese Champion
#9 . Elio Cotena .......................... Italian Champion
#10. Vernon Sollas ....................... British Champion
#11. Alfredo Pitalua
#12. Salvador Torres .................. Mexican Featherweight Champion

[Bill Paxtom]

February 5, 1977

Danny Lopez vs. David Kotey ~ 'The Rematch'

Daniel Kotey {Manager and Brother of former WBC Champion - David Kotey} exercised
his 'option' for a rematch.

Daniel Kotey had until February 6, 1977 {Midnight} to have contracts signed and filed with
the World Boxing Council.

But, Daniel Kotey asked the WBC for a 4-Week Delay, until March 9th to have the deposits
ready.

David Kotey also stated that the Accra Sports Stadium was under minor repairs, and additional
time would be required before staging the bout there.

Kotey said that April 30th would be the best time for the bout, as his
brother {David} had just recovered from injuries sustained in the November 6th bout.

Howie Steindler protested, and said that he would start negotiations with The Forum for an
April 9th date.

[Bill Paxtom]

March 1, 1977

~ 'Little Red' Lopez To Fight Soon ~

Manager - Howie Steindler has run into friction {tough negotiations} about having his fighter
{Danny Lopez] make his '1st' WBC Featherweight Title-Defense in Accra, Ghana against former
Champion - David Kotey.

Howie Steindler >
I know what is best for my fighter, and if we defend against the African, it will be here at The Forum.

But first, Danny has been 'nursing' a bad right-hand. And we are planning a tune-up next week in
Oklahoma City to test it out.

I'm still not sure if Danny will get the OK from the Doctor to fight. We have one more examination.

If all goes well, we will most likely make our 1st Title Defense on April 9th at The Forum against
#6 WBC-ranked Ernesto Herrera.

Ernesto just won the Mexican Featherweight Championship {W Dec 12} over Salvador Torres
on February 26th in Mexico.

After that bout, we will discuss the David Kotey rematch.

[Bill Paxtom]

Friday ~ March 11, 1977

~ Howie Steindler, Shot and Murdered ~

~ Police Seek Clues In Death Of Colorful Boxing Figure ~

Howie Steindler, the colorful owner of the 'famous' Main Street Boxing Gym and Manager of
WBC Featherweight Champion -Danny Lopez was found murdered yesterday.

Mr. Steindler was kidnapped from his home on Wednesday Night, and he was found dead in
his car, a 1976 Cadillac on Thursday.

Related Issues >

Mr. Steindler had been involved with 'intense' negotiations with Ghanan Representatives
regarding a rematch with former WBC Champion - David Kotey.

[Bill Paxtom]

Tuesday ~ April 5, 1977

~ 'Little Red' Is Down, But Not Out ~ {Part 1}

Back on November 6, 1976 > Danny Lopez landed a series of punches into the head of
WBC Champion - David Kotey in Round 11, and then he knew he could win the Featherweight
Championship.

But, 'Little Red' also damaged his right-hand in that bout, and has had problems with the hand
ever since.

But the most important event in Danny's career {winning the WBC Featherweight Championship}
has been put on the back-burner, as Danny's father-figure/Manager > Howie Steindler was found
murdered last month {March 9, 1977}.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Danny Lopez {Discussing his Championship winning effort} >

When I was introduced in the Ring, I did some squats and threw some punches at the canvas. The
crowd and the David Kotey Camp laughed at me, like I was some kind of joke.

Then Kotey came out to Center-Ring and 'shadow-boxed' by throwing lighting-fast combinations
towards my while I was in my corner.

His cornermen then said to me > "DK Poison is going to kill you in the 1st-Round. You will be dead."

Then David Kotey said that to me he was going to kill me in the 1st-Round.

In Round 1 > He came out fast, and really threw 'vicious' hard punches at my head. He was trying
for a 1st-Round Knockout. But I kept my hands up, as he was smashing my arms. He surprised me,
as he hit both fast and hard.

He did the same thing in Round 2, and he hurt me a couple of times. He 'staggered' me with a
right-hand to the jaw, and the place {Accra Sports Stadium} went crazy.

He was still going fast {all out} in Rounds 3 and 4. But half-way through Round 5, he started to
slow down. He was fighting at too fast of a pace.

Inside the Ring it was nearly 90* and the humidity was like a 'Steam-Bath' in there. The heat was
really getting to him at the end of the 5th Round, and I could feel his strength getting sapped.

I started to get to him at the 'tail-end' of Round 5. And I shook him up pretty good in Round 6,
and the 'tide-turned' in my favor.

I really had very good Rounds in the 7th, 8th and 9th. At the end of the 9th Round, we were pretty
much 'All Even', but he was fading fast.

But he came back 'strong' in Round 10, and took the play away from me early. He got his 'second-wind',
and he shook me up. He cut me under me left-eye, and opened up the small-cut over my left-eye.
I wasn't badly hurt, be he did 'nail me' a few times with good punches.

He may have been up {1-Point} after his good effort in Round 10.

But I came back in the next Round {11th}. I caught him with a real good right-hand, and I could see
in his eyes that he was hurt. I hit him with another right-hand to the jaw, and I could see both pain
and fear in his eyes. A few punches later he was on the canvas taking a '9-Count'. Then I knew that I
had a chance to win the Title.

Despite the knockdown in Round 11, coming out for Round 12 the bout was still close. Kotey came out
blazing, and he threw punches from every angle. But after about a minute, he was 'arm-weary' and
exhausted. He burned himself out. Then I had a 'big-rally' over the 2nd-Half of the Round, and took
control.

In my corner before Round 13, they told me to just keep pressing and to throw straight punches.
Just back him up and wear him down, but don't overwork. I did just that.

I hurt him again Round 13, and he really had the look of 'fear in his eyes'. All I had to do was keep
fighting my fight, and I knew that I would win.

If that bout was fought anywhere else, they would have it stopped it. He took a frightful beating from
me, especially over the last 5 Rounds.

The only way he survived, is because they cut the Round's short by at least 30-Seconds from the 11th
Round on. They didn't want to see their Hero get knocked out in front of 122,000 Ghanan's.

In Round 13, they cut the Round '50-Seconds' short. I had him on the Ropes and he was hanging on.
I hit him with a right-hand, and he was 'out' and sagging into the Ropes. I was 'one-punch' away
from putting him through the Ropes and 'out-of-the-Ring'. Then the Bell rang early, and saved him.

When the fight was over, it was quiet in the Ring and the Accra Sports Stadium. It was kind of strange
after a 'thrilling' Championship bout. I guess that they knew their Hero lost.

Then the Referee {Harry Gibbs} walked over to me and raised my hand. There was only some light
applause, and that was it. They handed me the WBC Championship belt and a Trophy, and we walked
out of the Ring with no cheering or fan-fare.

The only support I had there, was my Corner people {Teddy Bentham, Chickie Ferrera and David Sotello},
and some U.S. Marines who were at Ringside behind my corner.

It was a strange quiet surrounding, as compared to all the noise at The Forum and Olympic Auditorium.

[Bill Paxtom]

Tuesday ~ April 5, 1977

~ 'Little Red' Is Down, But Not Out ~ {Part 2}

Danny Lopez >

I hurt my right-hand real bad in the bout with David Kotey on November 6, 1976. It was so bad, that I
had to ice it every day for a month.

We took a few months off before I started back in training and working out at the Main Street Gym in the
middle of February 1977.

We were planning on having a 'tune-bout' in Oklahoma City for the 2nd-Week of March, and against Mexico's
Edel Borunda, the Chihuahua State > Featherweight Champion.

And then I was going to make my '1st' Title Defense on April 9th at The Forum and against #6 WBC-ranked
Ernesto Herrera, who is also the Mexican Featherweight Champion.

But my right-hand was really bothering me during the work-outs. The 'pain' was really bad. So my Manager
Howie Steindler had me see a Physician. The doctor examined me, and said that I had bone damage in my
right-hand. He then sent me to a 'bone specialist'.

We got 2nd-opinion, and it was diagnosed as 'bone chips', and the Physician said that he would have to perform
surgery.

So we 'cancelled' both the tune-up bout and Title Defense.

The damaged area was inside the joint on my right-hand {on the palm side} of my middle-finger. They had to
remove the 'bone-chips'. It was a simple surgery, but it did require an over-night stay at the Hospital.

The surgery went fine, but recovery is a different matter. They put my hand in a cast, where it stayed on for
3-Weeks.

Of course, in the meantime, we had the tragedy with my Manager {Howie Steindler}, where he was kidnapped
and murdered. I don't want to go into that, because it makes me both mad and sad.

I guess I will be 'out-of-action' for 3-Months now. I'm probably going to need a couple of 'tune-up bouts' first,
before I make my 1st Title-Defense.