Little Men, Big Power Vol.3: Danny “Little Red” Lopez
Loading ...
By Ian Murphy
Despite weighing a mere 126lbs, former Featherweight champion Danny “Little Red” Lopez battered his opposition and thrilled fight fans due to his constant pressure and massive power. Lopez could get an opponent out of there with either his wrecking ball right hand or his lethal left hook, both of which were set up by his battering ram left jab. Talk about throwing bombs with either hand! Lopez’s methodical yet unrelenting style was reminiscent of great contemporary Featherweight Alexis Arguello in the manner in which he delivered his punches: straight, efficient, and punishing. Out of Little Red’s 42 career victories, he finished 39 for a very impressive 93% KO percentage. He did it against top competition in the very deep Featherweight division of the mid to late 1970s. His signature win came against fellow pound for pound force of nature Ruben Olivares in 1975. This match showcases not only Lopez’s huge punch, but also his heart and determination.
Featherweight Bout- Danny “Little Red” Lopez vs Ruben “El Puas” Olivares, December 1975
This was a true test for the up and coming Lopez, as Olivares was a former two-division (Bantamweight and Featherweight) champion coming off losing his title to David Kotey two months prior. Still a dangerous man, Olivares (like Lopez) was a murderous puncher who at that point in his career had knocked out 90% of his opponents. This was a test for both, to see if Olivares still had it, and if Lopez was the real deal. The fight did not dissappoint.
Both men came out aggressive, with Lopez keeping Olivares off of him with a hard, powerful jab. Olivares responds with winging left hooks, trying to chop down the taller Lopez. Both men are master in-fighters and each have their moments while battling up close. Midway through the first round, Lopez got clipped with an overhand right and goes down. He gets up immediately and goes back to work, crashing a right hand of his own and dropping his opponent. The downed Olivares slams the canvas in frustration. What a fight! Such heart by these two great champions! Lopez goes for the finish and hits his dazed foe with a beautiful left/right/left combination and again Olivares falls. Again, a frustrated Olivares gets up, but does not appear to be badly hurt.
Round two saw Olivares scrapping and trying to get inside his taller opponent’s jolting left jab. Suddenly, Lopez again floors Olivares, this time with a tight left hook/right uppercut combination, showcasing his ability to hurt a man in any range. A brave Olivares again gets up, showing great heart and championship mettle. The next few rounds highlight the battle between Lopez’s reach and pressure and Olivares attempts at countering with hooks and looking to damage his man inside. As the fight progressed, Lopez methodically slams his heavy jab and right hand counters into Olivares’ face and the smaller man begins to finally wear down under Little Red’s constant pressure. By the seventh round, Olivares is still game, but fading fast. Lopez closes the show with a brutal overhand right (which made an audible “thud” in the film, despite the so/so audio quality), finishing with a short uppercut. Little Red would have plenty of classic matches later on during his career, but this fight really put him on the map and put the Featherweight division on red alert.
Danny “Little Red” Lopez was one of the top fighters in an incredibly competitive era in Boxing’s lighter divisions. He fought the best of his time like the great Salvador Sanchez (who finally wrested the Featherweight title from Lopez in 1979) and champions Bobby Chacon and Sean O’Grady. His fight with tough contender Tony Ayala was Ring Magazine Fight Of The Year in 1979. Lopez was loved and revered for his fighting heart and crowd-pleasing style, but he was most noted and feared for his incredible punching power. Danny Lopez (in regards to one-hit concussive power) is thought by many to be the hardest punching Featherweight in boxing history.
