[Previous entry: "Lanardo Tyner: 'This is huge, it's my opportunity!'"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Ruiz on call and ready to rock"]
05/08/2008 Archived Entry: "Lopez Shocks Oliver in Knockout Upset"
Lopez Shocks Oliver in Knockout Upset
By Pavel Yakovlev at ringside
Ringside Photographer - Joe Gallo
BOSTON, MA - In a stunning upset, Colombia's Reynaldo Lopez stopped IBF second ranked super bantamweight Mike Oliver of Hartford last night at 1:22 of round three in a ESPN Wednesday Night main event held at the Roxy in Boston. The end came when Oliver fell face first to the mat after taking a sharp left hook to the head. Although Oliver arose at the count of nine, he was on unsteady legs and referee Dick Flaherty immediately waived the bout off.
Until the sudden, unexpected ending, Oliver appeared to be getting the better of the action, even though Lopez was clearly a difficult and cagey opponent.
Oliver, 121 ˝ lbs., exhibited faster handspeed and more fluid body movement than the 34 year old Colombian throughout the match. Lopez however used sophisticated tactics to draw his stronger but less experienced opponent into unnecessary exchanges. With increasing frequency as the fight progressed, Lopez set up his power punches by first throwing slow, light punches to the body. When Oliver reacted to the body punches with strong punches of his own, Lopez would exploit the opening in Oliver’s guard by firing sweeping right hooks and left crosses to the head. Most of Lopez’s counters missed their mark, but by using this tactic Lopez eventually connected with the knockout blow in round three. 
Lopez misses with a right
Oliver’s trainer, John Scully, recognized Lopez’s tactics early, and he warned his fighter of the danger in-between the second and third rounds. For whatever reason, however, Oliver did not benefit from the warning. Perhaps Oliver felt overconfident, which is easy to understand given that he was winning the fight up until that point.
Oliver’s faster hands enabled him to win the first round handily. He scored several times with crisp right jabs, and occasionally he scored with quick, slapping lefts and right hooks to the head. At one juncture when the fighters moved inside, Oliver scored with good right hook to the body. He closed the round by landing a sharp left hook to the head.
As early as the first round, however, Lopez’s superior experience was evident. He remained patient at all times, and kept his guard high as he probed Oliver’s defenses. Although most at ringside observers did not expect Lopez to win, they could see immediately that he would give Oliver a difficult fight. 
The second round was filled with fast, sweeping exchanges of right hooks from both fighters. Lopez scored with several solid right hooks in this round, and although Oliver sometimes clinched, he seemed to take the punches well. Oliver also scored with numerous right hooks of his own, and overall he appeared to be getting the better of the action. Seconds before the end of the round, Oliver connected with a sharp right hook and left hook to the head.
The heated exchanges of sweeping hooks continued in the third round. Then, suddenly and shockingly, Oliver was lying faced first on the floor near a neutral corner – seemingly out cold – courtesy of a well timed left hook by Lopez, which beat Oliver's own right hook. Amazingly, Oliver scrambled to his feet, but the bout was clearly over. The ending came so fast that many observers from ringside did not get a chance to see what punch knocked Oliver out. 
Flaherty observes the daized Oliver before stopping the fight
Lopez, originally from Cartagena, Colombia and now residing in Miami, improves to 29-5-2 with 20 knockouts as a result of tonight’s win. Since turning professional in 1993, Lopez has fought several of the world’s best fighters, and after beating the highly rated Oliver, he clearly deserves to be ranked in the worldwide top ten.
In the post fight interview, Lopez credited his frequent sparring sessions with world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon for giving him the edge necessary to beat Oliver. Lopez also explained that it was his deliberate strategy to distract Oliver with body punches in order to create opportunities to score with power punches to the head.
Oliver falls to 21-1 with seven knockouts as a result of tonight’s loss. In the dressing room after the bout, he was philosophic about the outcome, stating that he had made a tactical mistake and that he regarded the fight as a learning experience.
In an undercard bout between welterweights, Antoine Smith scored an impressive third round knockout over Aaron Torres. Smith dominated the action in every round with his faster hands and heavier punching power. After dominating the first round with his left jab, Smith floored Torres, a participant in the second Contender series, early in the second with a strong, thudding left hook to the jaw. Torres arose, but he was in trouble for the rest of the round and was forced to run constantly from the stalking Smith. Smith floored Torres with another left hook in round three, and this time Torres took the ten count. The match was over at 2:35 of the round. 
Torres hits the canvas
Smith, 146 lbs., is now 10-1-1 with six knockouts. Torres, 148 lbs., falls to 16-7 with three knockouts.
In a middleweight bout, Eddie Caminero, 161 lbs., proved too strong for opponent Adrick Butler and the bout ended at 1:57 of the third after Butler had been floored three times. Caminero is now 4-0 with four knockouts. Butler, who weighed 158 lbs., is now 0-1 as a professional.
In a four round junior welterweight match, Sean Eklund won a unanimous decision over Jose Velazquez. Eklund, who weighed 141 lbs., is now 6-2. Velazquez, 137 lbs., falls to 0-3.
In a junior lightweight match, Frankie Trader, 130 lbs., won a unanimous decision over Luis Rosario, 130 lbs. Trader is now 1-0, while Rosario falls to 4-13, with two knockouts.
Replies: 1 Comment made on this article
Wow! You know,I thought Lopez was live but I didn't pull the trigger. Bad KO for Oliver. All the real iron at 122 would hand Oliver his ass, too.
Posted by Reginald Von Gleason @ 05/08/2008 03:49 AM EST
