Ricardo Lopez (boxer)

Infobox_Boxer


name = Ricardo Lopez
nationality = Mexican
realname = Ricado López Nava
nickname = El Finito (The Little Fine One)
weight = Minimumweight
birth_date = Birth date and age|1967|7|25|mf=y
birth_place = Cuernavaca, Mexico
home = Mexico City
style = Orthodox
total = 52
wins = 51
KO = 38
losses = 0
draws = 1
no contests = 0
height =
weight for fights =

Ricardo “El Finito” Lopez Nava (born July 25, 1967) is a boxer from Mexico. As a professional, he defended the WBC Strawweight Championship a record 22 times. He also won the WBA and WBO championship of the same weight class. Lopez also won the IBF Light Flyweight Championship and defended it twice before retiring. On October 10, 1990, Lopez defeated WBC minimumweight champion Hideyuki Ohashi of Japan via a fourth knockout to win his first world title. In 1991, he defeated Korean former champion Kyung-Yun Lee. In 1992, he defended his title against Pretty Boy Lucas (22-2-2) of the Philippines and Rocky Lin (14-0) of Taiwan. In 1993, Lopez defeated future two time champion Saman Sorjaturong of Thailand. Sorjaturong was knocked down once in the 1st round and twice in the 2nd round when the referee stopped the bout.

Later that year, he knocked out Filipino former champion Manny Melchor in the 11th round. In his tenth title defense, Lopez defeated future champion Kermin Guardia by unanimous decision. He knocked out Surachai Saengmorakot (10-0) in the first round of his next bout. In 1995, he defeated Andy Tabanas (30-2-0) of the Philippines via 12th round knock out. In his next bout, he defeated another Filipino boxer Ala Villamor (29-1-1) by knockout. In 1997, Lopez defended his title against Mongkol Charoen (20-1-0).

In his 20th world title bout, Lopez unified his WBC title by defeating WBO minimumweight champion Alex Sanchez of Puerto Rico via 5th round knock out. On March 7, 1998, Lopez fought WBA minimumweight champion Rosendo Alvarez to a technical draw after referee Arthur Mercante Sr. stopped the contest following an accidental head butt in the seventh round. Lopez defeated Alvarez in a rematch by split decision to claim his third minimumweight title. After the fight, he vacated his titles in order to move up in weight.

In his first bout at light flyweight, Lopez defeated IBF champion Will Grigsby of the United States. He defended his title against former champion Rotanapol Sor Vorapin. On September 29, 2001, Lopez knocked out Zolani Petelo who had recently vacated his IBF minimumweight title, the only minimumweight title that Lopez had not claimed before moving up to light flyweight. He officially announced his retirement from boxing at a press conference on 28 November 2002, in Mexico City.

Ricardo Lopez was the third champion in history to retire undefeated. He also holds the record for most consecutive title bouts without a loss at twenty-six title. This streak began with his knockout of Hideyuki Ohashi to win the WBC minimumweight title in 1990 and ending with his knockout of Zolani Potelo to defend his IBF light flyweight title in 2001. Ricardo only had one draw, which came against Rosendo Alvarez in 1998 in Lopez's 48th bout.

Honors

Lopez was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.

See also

* List of WBA world champions
* List of WBC world champions

External links

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