Mexico’s Luis Alberto Lopez is all set for his IBF featherweight title protection towards Joet Gonzalez, which takes place on the American Financial institution Middle in Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 15. The 12-round bout, plus undercard motion, can be broadcast by ESPN+ within the U.S. and Sky Sports activities within the U.Okay.
This time final yr, Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) was largely unknown. Nevertheless, because of his world title win over Josh Warrington and a fifth-round hammering of Michael Conlan in his maiden protection, the Mexicali native is now widely known as the most effective featherweight on the earth.
Gonzalez (26-3, 15 KOs) fights out of Los Angeles and is rated No. 13 by the IBF. A former two-time world title challenger, this 29-year-old’s setbacks have come towards the most effective: Shakur Stevenson (UD 12), Emmanuel Navarrete (UD 12), and Isaac Dogboe (UD 10).
WATCH: Join Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez stay on ESPN+
Nevertheless, regardless of the challenger’s high quality, BetMGM has Lopez listed as a -600 favourite to retain his championship. The prevailing knowledge amongst boxing specialists is that this fearsome fighter’s largest showdowns lie forward and there are three reigning world champions able to testing him.
The Sporting Information takes a deep dive into what may lie forward for Lopez:
Will Luis Alberto Lopez battle Robeisy Ramirez?
Cuba’s Ramirez (13-1, 8 KOs) may present the final word take a look at for Lopez. The WBO champ is anticipated by many to breach the pound-for-pound rankings sooner or later, and his novice pedigree (former Olympic champion) and efficiency stage as a professional help these lofty predictions.
Following Ramirez’s dominant title win over Isaac Dogboe in April, the fast-shooting lefty had a fast turnaround for his first protection, battering Satoshi Shimizu into submission inside 5 rounds on the Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue undercard in July.
The 29-year-old Ramirez has distinctive hand velocity, bundles of ring craft and is spiteful with it. Ignore the one defeat — which got here on factors in his debut and has since been avenged — Ramirez may be very particular and he’ll be a handful for anybody at 126 kilos.
With each fighters promoted by High Rank, this unification showdown can be straightforward sufficient to make.
MORE: SN’s High-12 pound-for-pound boxers listing
Will Luis Alberto Lopez battle Leigh Wooden?
We now have a possible basic right here.
Wooden, like Lopez, took the world stage by storm, posting back-to-back wins over Can Xu – to win the WBA common title – and Michael Conlan in what was later named The Ring Journal Combat of the Yr for 2022.
When Leo Santa Cruz vacated the WBA title, Wooden was upgraded – deservedly so – to full champion. Refusing to relaxation on his laurels, the Englishman threw down the gauntlet at feared Mexican puncher Mauricio Lara for what was a voluntary protection.
Catastrophe, through sickening left hook, struck.
After boxing fantastically by means of six rounds, Wooden was stopped within the seventh after rising on unsteady legs. A fighter to the core, the ex-champ activated his rematch clause and took full benefit. In what was arguably a career-best efficiency, “Leigh-thal” scored a masterful 12-round unanimous choice over an obese Lara to regain the crown in Could.
However earlier than Wooden (27-3, 16 KOs) can take into consideration a showdown with Lopez, he has a really harmful task towards former two-time champ Josh Warrington on October 7.
Will Luis Alberto Lopez battle Rey Vargas?
Regardless of coming off a one-sided thrashing by the hands of O’Shaquie Foster in a bout for the vacant WBC tremendous featherweight title, Rey Vargas nonetheless holds WBC gold at featherweight.
The Mexican technician, who additionally racked up 5 defenses of the WBC tremendous bantamweight championship, has been criminally missed throughout his championship run. Previous to the Foster setback, Vargas gained his first 36 fights as a professional and his expertise is past reproach. Signature wins have come towards Oscar Negrete, Ronny Rios, Tomoki Kameda, and Mark Magsayo.
Foster managed to outspeed and outclass Vargas over the space and he was the naturally larger man. Lopez, whereas highly effective, is much less polished than Foster, so the WBC champ may be capable of impose his boxing abilities on his countryman and construct up a factors lead.
The primary motive you’re unlikely to see this one is that Vargas fights for Premier Boxing Champions, who aren’t within the behavior of doing enterprise with High Rank.