July 30, 2006
FUKUOKA, JAPAN
Mexican challenger Rudy Lopez (19-2, 13 KOs), 126, impressively captured the WBC featherweight belt as he kept busily punching and stalking lefty defending champ Takashi Koshimoto (39-2-2, 17 KOs), 126, and finally brought him to a standstill to prompt the referee's intervention at 2:49 of the seventh round on Sunday in Fukuoka, Japan. After the third man calling a halt Koshimoto collapsed flat to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher.
The official tallies after the sixth were quite identical in every round as scored 57-57 by Ed Kugler (US), Jack Woodburn (Canada) and Larry O’Connell (England). The referee was Ian John Lewis (England).
After the opening session was dominated by the taller southpaw champ, people thought it might be an easy night for Koshimoto as Lopez, 13 years his junior at 22, obviously looked green and less experienced by throwing pit-a-at punches ineffectively, while Koshimoto tossed more effective, if neither many nor solid, blows to the Mexican.
The tide, however, turned in the second session. The handsome Mexican incessantly kept throwing punches to the elusive champ regardless of the accuracy of his attack. Lopez turned from orthodox to southpaw and remained aggressive though Koshimoto looked content to avert almost all of the challenger’s abundant but less accurate combinations. The Mexican sustained a cut under the right eye caused by a legal shot, so announced by our commission. But it was true Koshimoto seldom threw solid punches in this round, so the gash might be produced by an accidental butt.
The third saw Lopez still aggressive, though hitting only the air, not the champ. Koshimoto was anyhow defensive enough to move around without retaliation and only avoid the Mexican’s positive rallies, and then countered the youngster well with a few southpaw lefts with precision to win a point. The fourth was all Lopez, who kept throwing punches for full three minutes, while Koshimoto was all out blocking and headslipping his busy attacks. The fifth followed a similar pattern, as Lopez kept punching all the way but never showed any sign of fatigue. Some ringsiders said, “Lopez started action with too high a pace, so he will run out of gas sooner or later.” Their analysis eventually proved wrong, as the Mexican kid mentally and physically had abundant stamina with which he could continue punching all night.
Koshimoto, a 5’9” stylish champ, showed his best in the sixth, when he connected with accurate counters against the onrushing challenger. The lefty champ often caught him with sharp southpaw straight lefts followed by quick rights. Lopez shoved them off, went forward and threw punches without precision.
After the sixth, the official tallies were 57-57 on all the cards, which indicated a competitive fight before the trick happened. Koshimoto was still defensive-minded rather than aggressive. Lopez abruptly accelerated his attack and kept landing solid shots to the champ, whose footwork temporarily stopped and who failed to slip the challenger’s punches to absorb the punishment. Lopez kept punching from all angles so effectively that Koshimoto suddenly became groggy and helpless. The ref John Lewis then declared a halt to save Koshimoto from further punishment, when some ringsiders felt it was a premature stoppage. The criticism immediately vanished as Koshimoto fell down and stayed prone for minutes. A stretcher was promptly prepared to carry the ex-champ out of the ring to the medical room.
Lopez jubilantly celebrated his upset victory to be surrounded by his manager Jose Antonio Gomez, trainers Rudy Lopez and Jorge Barrera in the ring. The audience got shocked to see the unexpected happening and remained very silent though other preliminary bouts were fought afterwards. Fukuoka is a southern city which is notorious by its hot and humid air, and high temperature. However, it was a sad and cold summer day when the local hero and its first world champ ever thus forfeited his throne at the hand of the Mexican prospect.
Promoter: Fukuoka Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Rex Walker (US).
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(7-30-06)