Luis Alberto Lopez, with a record of 30-2 and 17 KOs, held onto his IBF featherweight title by stopping Reiya Abe, who stands at 25-4-1 with 10 KOs, in the eighth round through a TKO.
Abe found himself on the ropes against Lopez’s aggressive attack, eating power punches from every direction. A particularly nasty left from Lopez caused Abe’s right eye to balloon up, but the ringside doc gave the nod for the fight to continue, and Lopez didn’t let up.
Come the eighth, buoyed by the crowd’s roar, Lopez unleashed a barrage that had the ref, Mark Nelson, stepping in at just 39 seconds in.
Post-fight, Lopez got real about his drive, giving a shoutout to his family ringside. He tipped his hat to Abe, acknowledging the grit it took to keep going with one eye out of commission, but made it clear his eyes are set on bigger things. He’s itching for a chance to either unify the division or step up to 130 pounds, hinting at a potential showdown with whoever comes out on top between Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson, calling the opportunity “stupendous.”
In the welterweight division, Brian Norman Jr. and Janelson Bocachica ended in a no-go, thanks to a cut Bocachica got in round one. Norman hit the canvas after a snappy counter from Bocachica but had already given Bocachica a taste of his own medicine with a cut above the eye. The fight was axed by round three due to Bocachica’s worsening cut.
At junior welterweight, Bryce Mills, the local favorite, outclassed Gerffred Ngayot over six rounds, thanks to his relentless attack. Ngayot couldn’t keep up, though Mills took a breather in the last couple of rounds but still outpunched a cautious Ngayot. The judges saw it 58-57 and a double 60-54 for Mills.
In the middleweight class, Troy Isley, with a fresh corner team led by Brian McIntyre, scored a seventh-round stoppage over Marcos Hernandez. Isley’s smooth blend of attack and defense culminated in a decisive right hand, convincing the referee to call it quits at 1:30.
Bantamweight Floyd Diaz secured a unanimous decision against Edwin Rodriguez, showing off his counter right uppercut against Rodriguez’s valiant but outmatched effort. The scorecards read 78-74, 79-73, and 80-72 in Diaz’s favor.
Junior welterweight Rohan Polanco gave Tarik Zaina a boxing lesson, pushing him around the ring for an eight-round unanimous decision. Despite Zaina’s slick moves, Polanco’s relentless pressure and sharp counters knocked Zaina down, nearly finishing him off. Judges scored it 78-72 and twice 79-71.
Middleweight Nico Ali Walsh edged out Charles Stanford in a six-rounder, with scores of 59-55 and twice 60-54. The victory marked a rebound for Ali Walsh, the grandson of the legendary boxer, following his first career loss last August.
In the heavyweight scrap, Brandon Moore maintained his perfect record with a unanimous decision win over Helaman Olguin, with all three judges in agreement at 80-72.
