Jose Lopez didn’t need a wooden stake or garlic to beat the “Vampire”, a good left hook did the trick. The lightweight prospect used the punch to near perfection en route to a impressive sixth round stoppage of veteran “Luis” Vampiro” Arceo Saturday night at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California. “The left hook was open all night,” Lopez said afterwards.
It seemed that way. A combination punctuated by a succession of hooks floored Arceo in the first round, and the 23-year-old scored the bout’s second knockdown with a left-right-left combo in the second. The bout’s third and final knockdown came in the sixth, and it was again the result of the punch, as a Lopez hook knocked the veteran on his posterior. The fight was halted soon after.
The bout wasn’t as one-sided as one would expect given the knockdowns. “Vampiro” came to life after surviving a rocky first round, throwing more punches in the second and winning the third with his aggression.
The pace of the bout slowed in the fourth, with Lopez implementing a sound strategy of moving back and looking for openings as Arceo came forward. After Lopez had a good fifth, the coup de grace came with his trusty hook in the sixth. Official time was 1:40. Lopez improves to 21-2(13), while Arceo slips to 19-6-2(13).
After the bout, Lopez said tape study helped his preparation. “Watching his tapes, he’s open for a lot of combinations,” said Lopez. “It’s a tough Mexican that’ll never stop coming. I knew more than likely I was gonna go either to the late rounds or a decision. I knew it was gonna be a tough fight.”
Thompson Boxing matchmaker Alex Camponovo was pleased with Lopez’s performance, and said the young fighter will likely return to the ring in November. Lopez seems ready for the next level given his impressive performance. Arceo had gone the distance with former titleholder Jose Armando Santa Cruz and tough Fernando Trejo in his previous two outings.
Rising prospect Dominic “DJ” Salcido made quick work of Puerto Rican veteran Jose Quintana in the co-feature, winning by first round stoppage. Salcido, a quick-handed lightweight trained by former world title challenger Joel Diaz, improved to 14-0 with 7 KOs. Quintana, who defeated former world champions Daniel Jimenez and Cesar Soto in 2001 and 2002, falls to 13-12-2. The bout was scheduled for eight rounds.
Highly touted John Molina came back from a knockdown to blast out Ronald Boyd at 2:28 of the first round of their lightweight contest. Boyd, a DC southpaw cornered by former world champion Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, dropped Molina with a left as the two sized each other up near the middle of the ring. Molina seemed stunned but not badly hurt, and soon dispatched Boyd with a lethal flurry after hurting him with a left hook. Boyd was out on his feet with the ropes holding him up when the bout was halted by referee Tony Crebs. Molina improves to 8-0(6) while Boyd slips to 5-2(2).
Three other bouts rounded out the card. Junior welterweight Hector Serrano improved to 5-0 with a six round unanimous decision over Anthony Ramos. The bout was a bloodbath, with Serrano’s white trunks drenched in crimson from his bloody nose. Ramos, meanwhile, was cut over the right eye and had a huge mouse underneath it. The bout featured some of the best action of the night, with both men landing some solid shots during the exchanges. All three judges scored the bout 59-55 for Serrano. Ramos slips to a deceiving 1-3-1. Serrano suffered a broken nose during the bout, according
to publicist Marylyn Aceves.
Fernando Quintero won a four round split decision over hometown lad Ronald Hurley in a super featherweight bout. Carlos Molina, fighting out of the highly regarded Espinoza Boxing Club, won a four round decision over a game Torres in the opener.
Notes:
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Chris Arreola was on hand to support Lopez. Both young fighters, along with the previously mentioned Serrano, train out of the Lincoln Boxing Club in Riverside under trainer Henry Ramirez. A happy Arreola hoisted Lopez on his shoulders in the ring after the bout.
Junior welterweight contender Timothy Bradley Jr. was also in attendance to take in the action. Bradley is healing up from an injury that caused him to pull out of a September 7 appearance on Shobox. He should be back in the gym in mid-September, and expects to return to the ring in November.
The ring announcer was Danny Valdivia. Junior featherweight king Israel Vazquez was on hand to sign autographs for fans.
Thompson Boxing’s next event is Friday August 24 at Omega Products in Corona, California. Junior featherweight Adam Carrera is slated to appear in the main event.
