Yaqui López
Yaqui Lopez | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Real name | Álvaro López |
Nickname(s) | Yaqui |
Weight(s) | Heavyweight Cruiserweight Light Heavyweight |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (192 cm) |
Reach | 77 in (197 cm) |
Nationality | Mexican |
Born | Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico | May 21, 1951
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 76 |
Wins | 61 |
Wins by KO | 39 |
Losses | 15 |
Draws | 0 |
No contests | 0 |
Álvaro López (born May 21, 1951, in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico) is a former Mexican boxer and current member of the Boxing Hall of Fame.[1] A native of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, López was very popular among Mexicans and is considered by many as one of the greatest Light Heavyweights to never become world champion.[2][3]
Early life[]
The story of López starts with his birth under a bull ring in the Plaza de Toros San Pedro in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico. He was raised for 14 years underneath the seats in an adobe garage of a famous Bullring in Zacatecas.
A Young López had dreams of becoming a Matador, but those dreams were shattered when in his teens, he got a shot at fighting a bull. After about four or five passes, the bull drove his horn into his ankle which shattered it. With that shattered ankle came shattered dreams of becoming a bullfighter.
Amateur career[]
López ended his amateur career with a record of 13–3. At the Diamond Belt Championship in Eureka, California, he knocked out the defending champion to win the title. A lot of Native Americans were at the event and asked his trainer Jack Cruz, if Álvaro was Native American. Cruz lied and told them that López was of Yaqui heritage.
Professional career[]
In April 1972, Álvaro faced the veteran Herman Hampton to win his pro debut. The bout was held at the Civic Auditorium in Stockton, California.[4]
WBC Light Heavyweight Championship[]
On October 9, 1976, López lost a very disputed decision to world champion John Conteh. Many[who?] thought López had pulled off the upset. The fight was held in Denmark.[5]
WBA Light Heavyweight Championship[]
Álvaro met Víctor Galíndez in two installment for the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship. The fights were held in Italy and both bouts went the distance. Some boxing writers thought that Álvaro won the fights, though the decision victories went to the champion, Galindez.[6]
He was one of the very few boxers of his time to challenge James Scott at the Rahway State Prison.[7]
1980 Fight of the Year[]
López would later fight in the Ring Magazine's 1980 Fight of the Year against WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Matthew Saad Muhammad. The first half of the fight was dominated by López, with all three score cards very close up until the fourteenth round. When Álvaro ran out of gas and was stopped.[8]
WBC Cruiserweight Championship[]
In Álvaro's last world title attempt, he would lose to the much younger WBC Cruiserweight Champion, Carlos De León.[9] López would then wait almost a year and fight Bash Ali, before retiring from boxing.[10]
Legacy[]
Lopez is a member of both California Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.[11][12] He has his own gym named after him, Yaqui Lopez's Fat City Boxing.www.yaquilopezsfatcityboxing.com During Álvaro's career he faced Víctor Galíndez, Mike Rossman, Mike Quarry, Tony Mundine, Jesse Burnett, James Scott, S. T. Gordon, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Carlos De León, Michael Spinks, and John Conteh.[13][14]
Professional boxing record[]
References[]
- ^ "Yaqui Lopez - BoxRec".
- ^ "Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez: The Zacatecas Matador". 11 April 2011.
- ^ "Down Memory Lane: Paul Malignaggi, a New-Age Yaqui Lopez?".
- ^ http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=21103
- ^ http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=21066
- ^ http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050901/SPECIALREPORTS03/509010315
- ^ http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=21055
- ^ http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=16950
- ^ http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=21038
- ^ "Inaugura boxeador zacatecano su gimnasio-museo en EU".
- ^ "Where Are They Now; Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez".
- ^ http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071007/A_SPORTS0202/710070328/-1/A_SPORTS02
- ^ http://ringtalk.com/where-are-they-now-indian-yaqui-lopez
- ^ "Yaqui Lopez Never Took a Backwards Step". 10 February 2005.
External links[]
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Boxers from Zacatecas
- People from Zacatecas City
- Light-heavyweight boxers
- Cruiserweight boxers
- Mexican male boxers