Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was simply too much for Josesito Lopez as referee Joe Cortez stopped the bout late in the 5th round at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV last night. The “Rocky Moment” Josesito Lopez starred in last June would have no sequel, as Canelo methodically stalked and punished the Riverside, CA native until the end. Lopez did all he could to earn respect from Canelo as the two exchanged blows, but from the first round it was evident that the punches of Canelo inflicted much more damage than those of Lopez. Canelo’s solid counter-punching and quick combinations resulted in Lopez hitting the canvas in rounds 2, 3, and 4, and it took but a mere 45 seconds to walk it off and continue after having the wind knocked out of him in the 4th round.
It wasn’t a complete loss for Lopez, as he eared the respect of many for dusting himself off and attempting to fight his way back and at times landing good combinations. In the post fight interview with sportscaster Jim Gray, Lopez admitted that he was out of his weight, stepping up to light middleweight, and that he had fought his heart out even though it wasn’t enough. Afterwards Canelo was also interviewed and gave credit to Lopez for having a lot of heart, which made it clear that he can still improve and be ready to face an elite fighter, such as Floyd Mayweather or Miguel Cotto.
Check out some highlights of the blow-for-blow bout after the jump.