Photo by Ismael Gallardo/RBRBoxing
On Friday, May 5, 2017, Jesus Rojas (25-1-2, 18 KOs) scored an eighth-round TKO victory against previously undefeated contender Abraham Lopez (22-1-1, 15 KOs) for the NABA Featherweight title at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fight was the co-main event of a GBP on ESPN broadcast that featured Yuriorkis Gamboa in a stunning TKO loss to Robinson Castellanos.
Lopez, 29, had been steadily making his case for a world title shot after returning to the ring in March of 2015. Since then he has ranked impressive wins over the likes of Julian Ramirez, but tonight he was outmatched much a much more skillful and stronger opponent in Rojas.
Lopez, a native of La Puente, California, knew that he had a power puncher in front of him in Rojas, a 30-year-old native of Puerto Rico. Indeed, in the opening rounds, Lopez boxed from the outside but found it increasingly hard to keep Rojas off of him.
In Rounds 2 and 4 Rojas dropped Lopez. The knockdowns were caused partly by Rojas’ power, but more by Lopez’s tendency to drop his hands when he is being defensive.
By Round 8, Rojas had worn Lopez down and a triplet of right hands caused the third and final knockdown.
Lopez suffered the first defeat of his career but says he’ll return.
“It’s tough to swallow, I’m still processing it, but it happens,” said Lopez. “After this, I know I’m going to go back to the drawing board and start training hard again.”
Rojas, however, looks forward to a possible world title opportunity.
“It’s going to be about three years since I’ve fought in the U.S.,” said Rojas.
“This win is the opportunity to be on the global stage, and take on world champions. I promised my father that I would become a world champion, and even though he is not with me anymore I carry on our dream,” said Rojas.
“I hope that by the end of the year, I am competing for an interim title or even a world championship.”
Jesus Rojas stops Abraham Lopez. #Boxing #GBPonESPN pic.twitter.com/YhHxLgyswp
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) May 6, 2017
