Danny 'Little Red' Lopez ~ Career

[beenKOed]

No battle between friends at my house. My mother was a Bobby Chacon fan while I was a precocious, trash talking 9 year old Little Red fanatic. I could not even consider the possibility that he was not the greatest fighter ever.

That's a great story man! I liked it! My mother had no interest in boxing.

[greynotsoold]

No battle between friends at my house. My mother was a Bobby Chacon fan while I was a precocious, trash talking 9 year old Little Red fanatic. I could not even consider the possibility that he was not the greatest fighter ever.

That's a great story man! I liked it! My mother had no interest in boxing.

When I was 3,4,5 My mother would get on the bus with me in Pomona. We would go see the fights and wrestling. After the fights we took another bus to stay with friends until my father came.
I have to point out the cholo standard of integrity. So many times. At the bus station people would think my mother was a hooker; I'd puff up my 5 year old chest and a smooth vato would slide up. You know?
Boxing gets to be you.

[Bill Paxtom]

Friday ~ May 24, 1974

Danny Lopez vs. Bobby Chacon

Figures

Attendance at the Sports Arena ..................................... 16,027
Closed Circuit Broadcast to the Olympic Auditorium ........... 2671

Gate Receipts .................................................. .......... $222,020

Fight Purse for each Fighter ......................................... $55,505
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bout was for the United States Featherweight Championship, and was scheduled
for 12 Rounds.

Entering the bout, Danny Lopez was ranked #4 WBC, and Bobby Chacon was #5 WBC.

WBC Ratings ................................ WBA Ratings
*** Eder Jofre ...................................... 'vacant'
#1 . Alfredo Marcano ............................ Ruben Olivares
#2 . Ruben Olivares ............................. Zensuke Utagawa
#3 . Alexis Arguello .............................. Alexis Arguello
#4 . Danny Lopez ................................. Danny Lopez
#5 . Bobby Chacon ............................... Vicente Blanco
#6 . Leonel Hernandez ......................... Bobby Chacon
#7 . Zensuke Utagawa ......................... Rigoberto Riasco
#8 . Art Hafey ..................................... Leonel Hernandez
#9 . Jose Antonio Jiminez ..................... Jesus Estrada
#10. David Kotey ................................. Flipper Uehara

[Bill Paxtom]

Fight Night

Ring Announcer > Jimmy Lennon

Bobby Chacon > The Pride of the San Fernando Valley.

From Alhambra, California > 'Little Red' Danny Lopez

The Sports Arena crowd of 16,027 were 'split' right down the middle.

[Bill Paxtom]

May 24, 1974

~ Danny Lopez KO'd By Chacon in 9th ~

[greynotsoold]

That was the worst night of my life. I cried and it took me a decade to stop hating Chacon. I started going to the gym right after that, to learn to fight so I could beat up Bobby Chacon.

[Bill Paxtom]

That was the worst night of my life. I cried and it took me a decade to stop hating Chacon. I started going to the gym right after that, to learn to fight so I could beat up Bobby Chacon.

A tough night for Alhambra to accept as well.

[beenKOed]

Yeah, I'm from the heart of the San Fernando Valley so it was all good for me but I still hated to see Lopez lose.
I was living in Simi Valley at that time. That was a big fight for SoCal.

[Bill Paxtom]

After Bout Comments

Danny Lopez

Bobby was really tough inside. He was better than I had expected. He hit me with some
really good punches, but I wasn't hurt until the 9th Round.

I was at {121 lbs.} 5-days before the bout. We had to cut the last '3' Gym-Sessions out, so
that I could put on some weight. I still only came in at 123 1/2 lbs. I guess I was too light.

Bobby was just a little too strong for me tonight. He said that of he wins the WBC Championship,
he would give me his 1st Title defense. That is a great gesture of sportsmanship.

[Bill Paxtom]

~ Danny Lopez Suffers 1st Loss ~

Bobby Chacon battered Danny 'Little Red' Lopez with a ferocious assault at the beginning
of the 9th Round, and floored him.

Moments later, after Danny rose from the Knockdown he attempted to ride out the
'Storm'. But he was met by a fierce swinging Chacon, who slammed him with numerous
right-hands, and sent him reeling across the Ring and into the Ropes where he was
defenseless.

Referee - John Thomas stopped the on-slaught at {0:48} of the 9th Round.

It was a terrific battle, with Danny Lopez holding his own thru the first 4-Rounds as
he pressed the fight, and was peppering away with fast 'left-right' combinations.

But Bobby Chacon took control late in Round 5, when he found a home for his 'Ram-Rod'
left-hand, as he jarred Lopez with left-jabs and pole-type straight-lefts from inside.

Lopez had suffered a 'slice' over his right-eye in Round 2. Bobby Chacon suffered a bloody
nose in Round 5.

At the end of the bout, Chacon was un-marked. Danny Lopez was sporting a badly swollen
right-eye, and his 1st loss of his career after '23' straight wins.

Bobby Chacon >

I came in at 128 lbs. at the morning weigh-in. I had to sweat off 2 lbs. to make weight. I thought
that it would affect me late, so I just went out early and looked to gain an edge. But Danny was tough,
and he hung with me for 4-Rounds.

Mid-way thru the 5th Round my Manager {Joe Ponce} yelled to me that he was 'fading'. He yelled,
"Go the body Bobby. Slam in the left-hand". I did, and Danny started to slow down.

The left-hand was the key to wearing him down. But, he was easy to hit with the right-hand. I caught
him coming in many times. But he was tougher than I thought, as he took them for 8-Rounds.

Scorecards after 8-Rounds >
* Referee - John Thomas ......... 6-2 {Bobby Chacon}
* Judge - Dick Young ............... 6-2 {Bobby Chacon}
* Judge - Chuck Hassett ........... 7-1 {Bobby Chacon}

[Bill Paxtom]

Bang Tango

Danny Lopez vs. Bobby Chacon

The Climatic Round 9

{0:01} > Bobby 'bolts' from his corner and meets Danny at Center-Ring.
{0:03} > Bobby jabs at Danny's mid-section.
{0:04} > Danny moves to his left {180*}
{0:05} > Danny shoots out '2' low left-hands
{0:06} > Bobby counters with a vicious chopping right-hand to the jaw as Danny is caught flush.

{0:07} > Danny is badly stunned, and wobbles backwards to the back right Ring area.
{0:08} > Bobby steps forward, and delivers 'back-to-back' chopping right-hands into Danny's head.
{0:09} > Bobby unloads with a quick 'left-right' and 'left-right' to the head.
{0:10} > Danny 'sags' into the right-side Ropes near the back-right Corner.

{0:12} > Bobby rakes Danny with an '8-Punch' barrage.
{0:14} > Danny is badly hurt, and turns to his left and is sideways.
{0:15} > Bobby fires in a hard 'left-right' to the head.
{0:16} > Bobby continues with a left-hook and right-uppercut into Danny as he is near defenseless.

{0:17} > Danny goes down along the right-side Ropes.
{0:22} > Danny is up at the '5-Count'.
{0:27} > Referee - John Thomas completes his count, and waves to allow the fight to continue.
{0:28} > Bobby comes charging across the Ring at Danny.

{0:30} > Bobby fires in a big left-uppercut to the head.
{0:31} > Bobby adds in a straight-right to the jaw.
{0:33} > Danny backs up to the front-center Ropes.
{0:35} > Bobby slams away with a 'left-right-left-right'.

{0:37} > Danny tries to punch back, but he is getting smothered.
{0:39} > Bobby scores with a left-hook to the head.
{0:40} > Bobby rocks Danny with a 'tremendous' right-hook to the head..
{0:42} > Bobby comes back with a quick 'left-right' as Danny reels.

{0:43} > Danny turns to his left, and heads toward the left-side Ring area on wobbly-legs.
{0:46} > Danny crashes into the left-side Ropes and sags.
{0:47} > Bobby lands a big sweeping right-hook to the right-side of Danny's head as he is defenseless.
{0:48} > Referee - John Thomas calls it off, and raises Bobby Chacon's hand.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ August 8, 1974

Olympic Auditorium ~ Los Angeles, California

Television .......... Channel 13 {KCOP-TV}

Danny Lopez - 23-1-0 {22 KO's} ~ 125 1/2 lbs. ~ 5' 7 1/2" ~ {Age; 22 years, 1 month}
vs.
Masanao Toyoshima - 23-5-1 {20 KO's} ~ 126 1/4 lbs. ~ 5' 5 1/2" ~ {Age; 24 years, 9 months}
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ The Skinny ~

'Little Red' Lopez is back in the Ring after only a 2+ month rest, after taking a brutal beating
from Bobby Chacon.

Danny has trained like ' banshee' for his comeback return bout, and 7-Days before this bout
his weight has dropped down to a very low {121 lbs.}.

Manager - Howie Steindler has called off the last 5-Days of Danny's gym sessions so he can
put back on some weight.

Masanao Toyoshima is a hard-hitting Nippon import, who can bang pretty good, especially with his
right-hand 'Haymaker'. He is ranked as the #2 Featherweight in the Orient.

Toyoshima is an experienced 6-Year Pro, who is coming into the Ring with '4-Straight' KO wins.

Danny Lopez >
Losing to Bobby Chacon was not as bad as you think. He's a very good fighter, who's ranked in the
Top 3 of the Featherweights. Losing to a good fighter should not hurt you that much in the rankings.

Now, if I lose to this guy {Masanao Toyoshima}, then that would be a different story. He's not well
known here, but he has a good reputation in the Orient and Hawaii. He's a good puncher for sure,
but he's no Bobby Chacon.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ August 8, 1974

~ Lopez Return Is No Comeback ~

Danny Lopez >

This no comeback. I didn't go anywhere. I just lost to a very good fighter who was
a little better than me.

I'm still on a mission to get a chance at the World Title for the Featherweight division. I'm
not on a comeback run. Look at who I am fighting. This guy {Masanao Toyoshima} is the
#2 Featherweight in the Orient.

If I was on a comeback run, do you think I would take on a guy of this caliber. I would have
started off with an easy opponent. Masanao can punch very hard.

If I lose, then I will worry.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ August 8, 1974

~ Lopez Return Is No Comeback ~

Danny Lopez >

This no comeback. I didn't go anywhere. I just lost to a very good fighter who was
a little better than me.

I'm still on a mission to get a chance at the World Title for the Featherweight division. I'm
not on a comeback run. Look at who I am fighting. This guy {Masanao Toyoshima} is the
#2 Featherweight in the Orient.

If I was on a comeback run, do you think I would take on a guy of this caliber. I would have
started off with an easy opponent. Masanao can punch very hard.

If I lose, then I will worry.

~ 'Little Red' Gets 3rd Round Knockout ~

~ Lopez Floored, But Scores KO In 3 ~

Danny Lopez scored a 3rd-Round Knockout over Japan's Masanao Toyoshima last night, but
had to get up from a 3rd Round knockdown to do it.

Things went very well for 'Little Red' in the Opening Round, as he utilized his longer each and fast
two-handed attack to floor Toyoshima 'twice'.

Lopez over-whelmed the Nippon import early, and dropped him with a fast 'left-right-left' to the head
at the {1:27 Mark}. Toyoshima was up quickly, and took the Mandatory 8-Count.

'Little Red' was quickly back to the attack, and rained a series of 'lefts-and-rights' on his shorter
opponent. Lopez then dropped him again at the {2:33 Mark} with several head-punches. Again,
Toyoshima was up quickly, and survived the Round.

In Round 2, Lopez stalked his over-matched opponent. Toyoshima smartly 'bobbed-and-weaved' to
avoid the incoming punches from 'Little Red' during the first-half of the Round. But Lopez pressed,
and was able to land a good amount of left-jabs on the Japanese fighter's left-eye over the second-half
of the session.

At the end of Round 2, Toyoshima was sporting a partially closed left-eye.

In Round 3, Danny came out winging punches as he met Masanao at Center-Ring. Danny was scoring with
a barrage and had his opponent in dire straights at the {0:25 Mark}.

Suddenly, Masanao threw a wild right-hand 'Haymaker'.

The punch landed 'flush' on Danny's chin, and he flopped to the canvas on the seat of his pants. Danny was up
at the '3-Count', but looked badly hurt as Referee - Larry Rozadilla tolled off the 'Mandatory Count'.

When the action resumed, Masanao tore into Danny with a volley of punches. To survive, Danny used a poking
left-jab to keep the driving Japanese Bomber from getting in close.

By the {1:40 Mark} > Danny had fully recovered, and started to fire back with 'left-right' combinations.

By the {2:30 Mark}, Masanao's left-eye was completely closed, and he was getting 'tagged' by solid 'left-right'
punches.

Danny then 'staggered' Masanao with a hard right-hand, and had him near defenseless at the {2:40 Mark}.

Danny then unloaded with a '15-Punch' barrage of lefts-and-rights, and Masanao collapsed to the canvas.

Referee - Larry Rozadilla counted out Masanao at {2:59} of Round 3.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ September 19, 1974

Olympic Auditorium ~ Los Angeles, California

Danny Lopez - 24-1-0 {23 KO's} ~ 126 lbs. ~ 5' 7 1/2" ~ {Age; 22 years, 2 months}
vs.
Shig Fukuyama - 30-7-0 {18 KO's} ~ 125 1/2 lbs. ~ 5' 5" ~ {Age; 24 years, 8 months}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ The Skinny ~

Danny Lopez is ranked as the #6 WBC Featherweight. Danny has been promised a
Title bout with WBC Featherweight Champion - Bobby Chacon for November 1974, if he
can get by Shig Fukuyama.

Danny Lopez was listed as a {6-1} Betting-Favorite.

Shig Fukuyama is an experienced tough-banging 6-year veteran. Shig is a slashing-puncher,
who can easily cut up his opponent.

Shig is no stranger to the Olympic Auditorium, as he has had '12-Bouts' here since September
1970.

Also, Shig has won 5-of-6 bouts, with all of the wins coming by way of Knockout, including
an impressive win {TKO 10} over highly-touted Carlos Becerril on August 1st.

Howie Steindler {Manager for Danny Lopez} >
This is a good tune up bout for Danny. This guy {Shig Fukuyama} has the same style as Bobby Chacon.
He comes forward and is aggressive, and he is right in front of you.

I think that Fukuyama will give Danny a few good Rounds, and that is what we need. We're expecting
3 or 4 hard Rounds, and we are prepared for a tough fight. But Danny will get to him in the middle-Rounds
and chop him up. Danny will have him out of there for sure.

Joe Ponce {Manager for Bobby Chacon} >
This is a dangerous fight for 'Little Red'. Fukuyama is no pushover.

This guy can slash you with his punches, especially that left-hand. He delivers it upwards, and it can rip
the skin near your eye's. Danny better get him out of there early, or he's going to have trouble late.