Danny 'Little Red' Lopez ~ Career

[Bill Paxtom]

1977

~ Danny 'Little Red' Lopez Marches On In A World Of Craziness ~

Danny Lopez ~ WBC Featherweight Champion

I have my first WBC Title-Defense set for September 13th at the Olympic Auditorium, and against
#6 WBC-ranked Jose 'The Missle' Torres.

I have a 'new' manager in Benny Giorgino. He has taken over for me, following the tragic death
{murder} of my Manager - Howie Steindler on March 9th.

I will be dedicating this fight to Howie, as he was as 'father-figure' to me. Without his help, I would
have never made it in boxing.

After I won the WBC Featherweight Championship last year {November 6, 1976}, I was supposed to
make my 1st-Defense against the former Champion - David Kotey within 90-Days in Ghana. But there
were all sorts of political problems in Ghana, and we couldn't get the problems ironed out.

He was also banged up pretty good, and they wanted a 6-Week extension so he could heal. But that
broke the contract agreement, and we were able to get out of the 'rematch clause'.

We were also talking to #2 WBC-ranked Eiio Cotena of Italy. But he got 'stopped' in his December 1976
bout while trying to 'defend'' his European Featherweight Championship. So, that ended that bout.

I got back to training and working out in mid-February. We had signed up for a 'non-title' bout in
Oklahoma City set for March 15th.

I was supposed to fight Chihuahua State Featherweight Champion - Edel Borunda. He had a record
of 31-7-0 with {11 KO's}, and had won '11-Straight' bouts. It would have been a 'good' tune-up test
for me, as he was a pretty good 24-year-old boxer.

We had also signed a contract to defend the WBC Championship on April 9th at The Forum, and against
#3 WBC-ranked Ernesto Herrera of Mexico. He was the Mexican Featherweight Champion, and he had
a record of 29-4-2 with {19 KO's}. He is young {Age; 23} and really strong. He had gone unbeaten
in '10-Bouts', and was trained by Tony Ayala Sr., as he had moved for Monterrey, Mexico to San Antonio,
Texas.

In the meantime, my Manager {Howie Steindler} was still negotiating with the Ghana Promoters to defend
against David Kotey. They were trying to squeeze in April 30th as a date, but that would have been very
difficult and nearly impossible to pull off.

Then at the same time, Promoter - Don King offered us $95,000 to defend the WBC Title against former
multiple Champion - {30 year-old} Ruben Olivares in Houston, Texas.

But, Ruben had lost his last fight {L KO 6} to Jose Cervantes in a WBC Super-Bantamweight Elimination
Bout 3-Months earlier {on November 19, 1976}.

All the other Fight Managers who's fighter's were ranked above #10 WBC-ranked Ruben Olivares 'cried foul'
to the World Boxing Council and Jose Sulaiman. Well that ended that.

Then in late-February, just as I was getting in shape, I felt some real bad pain in my right-hand. That's when
I found out that I had 'bone-chips' in the palm of my hand, and I required surgery.

Then a little over 1-Week later, my Manager {Howie Steindler} ended up getting murdered on March 9th.

Yes, since winning the WBC Featherweight Championship last November, it has been a 'Wild Ride'.

[Bill Paxtom]

1977

~ Danny 'Little Red' Lopez Marches On In A World Of Craziness ~

Danny Lopez ~ WBC Featherweight Champion

I have my first WBC Title-Defense set for September 13th at the Olympic Auditorium, and against
#6 WBC-ranked Jose 'The Missle' Torres.

I have a 'new' manager in Benny Giorgino. He has taken over for me, following the tragic death
{murder} of my Manager - Howie Steindler on March 9th.

I will be dedicating this fight to Howie, as he was as 'father-figure' to me. Without his help, I would
have never made it in boxing.

After I won the WBC Featherweight Championship last year {November 6, 1976}, I was supposed to
make my 1st-Defense against the former Champion - David Kotey within 90-Days in Ghana. But there
were all sorts of political problems in Ghana, and we couldn't get the problems ironed out.

He was also banged up pretty good, and they wanted a 6-Week extension so he could heal. But that
broke the contract agreement, and we were able to get out of the 'rematch clause'.

We were also talking to #2 WBC-ranked Eiio Cotena of Italy. But he got 'stopped' in his December 1976
bout while trying to 'defend'' his European Featherweight Championship. So, that ended that bout.

I got back to training and working out in mid-February. We had signed up for a 'non-title' bout in
Oklahoma City set for March 15th.

I was supposed to fight Chihuahua State Featherweight Champion - Edel Borunda. He had a record
of 31-7-0 with {11 KO's}, and had won '11-Straight' bouts. It would have been a 'good' tune-up test
for me, as he was a pretty good 24-year-old boxer.

We had also signed a contract to defend the WBC Championship on April 9th at The Forum, and against
#3 WBC-ranked Ernesto Herrera of Mexico. He was the Mexican Featherweight Champion, and he had
a record of 29-4-2 with {19 KO's}. He is young {Age; 23} and really strong. He had gone unbeaten
in '10-Bouts', and was trained by Tony Ayala Sr., as he had moved for Monterrey, Mexico to San Antonio,
Texas.

In the meantime, my Manager {Howie Steindler} was still negotiating with the Ghana Promoters to defend
against David Kotey. They were trying to squeeze in April 30th as a date, but that would have been very
difficult and nearly impossible to pull off.

Then at the same time, Promoter - Don King offered us $95,000 to defend the WBC Title against former
multiple Champion - {30 year-old} Ruben Olivares in Houston, Texas.

But, Ruben had lost his last fight {L KO 6} to Jose Cervantes in a WBC Super-Bantamweight Elimination
Bout 3-Months earlier {on November 19, 1976}.

All the other Fight Managers who's fighter's were ranked above #10 WBC-ranked Ruben Olivares 'cried foul'
to the World Boxing Council and Jose Sulaiman. Well that ended that.

Then in late-February, just as I was getting in shape, I felt some real bad pain in my right-hand. That's when
I found out that I had 'bone-chips' in the palm of my hand, and I required surgery.

Then a little over 1-Week later, my Manager {Howie Steindler} ended up getting murdered on March 9th.

Yes, since winning the WBC Featherweight Championship last November, it has been a 'Wild Ride'.

In April 1977, I was offered some 'big money' to fight the winner of the Carlos Zarate vs. Alfonos Zamora
'non-title' Bantamweight bout.

They fought on April 23rd, and Fight Promoter - Don Fraser offered me $125,000 to fight the winner
{Carlos Zarate} in July 1977.

It would have been interesting, but I don't think that Carlos really wanted to take the bout. He claimed
an injury and decided to hold off on fighting me. I'm way too big for him anyway, and he knows it.

Funny thing is, they were waiting for me to defend my Title against Ernesto Herrera, but my hand had
to heal first. And wouldn't you know it, Ernesto goes out and takes a 'tune-up' bout in the meantime
while waiting for me to recover, and he loses {L Dec 10} to Edel Borunda on May 20th.

The same guy who I was going to fight in my 'tune-up' bout back on March 15th, before I found out I
had 'bone-chips' in my right-hand.