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Lopez’s comeback continues vs. Corral; Balderas wins debut

Photo credit: Andy Samuelson/Premier Boxing Champions
Fighters Network
10
Apr

“The Riverside Rocky” fights on.

Josesito Lopez moved his record to 35-7 (19 knockouts) with a dominant 10-round decision win over Saul Corral (23-9, 14 KOs) at The Novo at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Lopez, 32, was finally able to get Corral to the canvas in the final round with a barrage of rights and left hooks but couldn’t keep him there. He still managed to win by the scores of 100-89 on all three official scorecards in the “PBC on FS1” headliner.

The win was Lopez’s second straight since he returned last December following 21 months out of the ring, after Andre Berto stopped him in six rounds in March of 2015. Lopez appeared to still have some fight to give in his 14th year as a professional, swinging from high-arcing angles with his rights and sweeping with his lefts.



Corral, 30, of Agua Prieta, Mexico couldn’t keep up the pace set by Lopez but took a decent punch, remaining on his feet in the sixth, when a left hook rocked him back.

Lopez has already had a colorful career, fighting Jessie Vargas, Victor Ortiz, Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana and Berto.

The card also saw the debut of 2016 U.S. Olympian Carlos Balderas, the 20-year-old junior lightweight from Santa Maria, California. Balderas, who made it to the quarterfinals of the lightweight division in Brazil, showed off the numerous ways he can set up right hands to the chin for three minutes before Thomas Smith (3-5-1, 2 KOs) waved the white flag in the corner.

Also, lightweight Alejandro Luna (22-0, 15 KOs) continued his climb up the rankings with a 10-round unanimous decision over Andrey Klimov (19-4, 9 KOs). Two judges scored the bout 98-92, while the third had it 97-93.

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