Ricardo López (boxer)

Ricardo “El Finito” López Nava (born July 25, 1966) is a retired undefeated Mexican professional boxer. As a professional, he defended the Lineal and WBC Strawweight Championship a record 21 times. He also won the WBA and WBO Championships in the same weight class. López later won the IBF Light Flyweight Championship and defended it twice before retiring. He is also the father of undefeated flyweight prospect Alonso López.^[2][3]

Amateur career

López would win four consecutive Guantes de Oro de México Championships from 1981 to 1984. López turned pro without having ever lost an amateur bout.

Professional career

On January 18, 1985, Ricardo made his professional debut at the age of 20 by scoring a third round knockout of Rogelio Hernandez. He accumulated a record of 26–0 before receiving his first shot at a world title.

WBC Minimumweight Championship

On October 10, 1990, López defeated WBC Minimumweight Champion Hideyuki Ohashi of Japan via a fourth round knockout to win his first world title. In 1991, he defeated Korean former champion Kyung-Yun Lee (20–1–0). In 1992, he defended his title against Pretty Boy Lucas (22–2–2) of the Philippines and Rocky Lin (14–0) of Taiwan. In 1993, López defeated future two time champion Saman Sorjaturong of Thailand. Sorjaturong was knocked down once in the 1st round and twice in the 2nd round when the referee stopped the bout.

Later that year, he knocked out Filipino former champion Manny Melchor in the 11th round. In his tenth title defense, López defeated future champion Kermin Guardia (21–0–0) by unanimous decision. He knocked out Surachai Saengmorakot (10–0) in the first round of his next bout. In 1995, he defeated Andy Tabanas (30–2–0) of the Philippines via 12th round knock out. In his next bout, he defeated another Filipino boxer and founder of the famous "Ala Gym" Ala Villamor (29–1–1) by knockout. In 1997, López defended his title against Mongkol Charoen (20–1–0).

WBO and WBA Minimumweight Championship

In his 20th world title bout, López unified his WBC title by defeating WBO Minimumweight Champion Alex Sánchez (25–1–0) of Puerto Rico via 5th round knockout. On March 7, 1998, López fought undefeated WBA Minimumweight Champion Rosendo Álvarez to a technical draw after referee Arthur Mercante Sr. stopped the contest following an accidental head butt in the seventh round. In the rematch, Alvarez came in over the minimumweight limit and was subsequently stripped of his title. Due to the weight disparity, the fight was in jeopardy. However, López chose to proceed with the contest against the heavier Alvarez with only López eligible to claim the now vacant WBA title. López defeated Alvarez by split decision to claim his third Minimumweight title.^[4] After the fight, he vacated his titles in order to move up in weight.

IBF Light Flyweight Championship

In his first bout at light flyweight, López defeated IBF Champion Will Grigsby of the United States. He defended his title against former champion Ratanapol Sor Vorapin. On September 29, 2001, López knocked out Zolani Petelo, who had recently vacated his IBF Minimumweight title, the only Minimumweight title that López had not claimed before moving up to light flyweight. He officially announced his retirement from boxing at a press conference on November 28, 2002 in Mexico City.

Retirement

Ricardo López was the third champion in history to retire undefeated and the first to do so as both an amateur and professional fighter. He also shares with Joe Louis and Floyd Mayweather Jr. the record for consecutive title bouts without a loss (twenty-six).^[5][6] This streak began with his knockout of Hideyuki Ohashi to win the WBC Minimumweight title in 1990 and ended with his knockout of Zolani Potelo to defend his IBF Light Flyweight title in 2001. Ricardo only had one draw, which came against Rosendo Alvarez in 1998 in Lopez's 48th bout and was avenged in the rematch eight months later. His final record was 51 wins (38 knockouts), 0 losses and 1 draw.

Life after boxing

López now works as a boxing broadcaster for the Mexican Televisa network.^[7]

Honors

López was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.^[8]

Ricardo "Finito" Lopez was voted as the Greatest Strawweight and Light Flyweight Champion Ever by the Houston Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2014. The HBHOF is a voting body composed entirely of current and former fighters.

Professional record

51 Wins (38 knockouts, 13 decisions), 0 Losses, 1 Draw[9]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	51–0–1	Zolani Petelo	KO	8(12)	September 29, 2001	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Retained IBF Light Flyweight title.
Win	50–0–1	Ratanapol Sor Vorapin	TKO	3(12)	December 2, 2000	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF Light Flyweight title.
Win	49–0–1	Will Grigsby	UD	12(12)	October 2, 1999	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won IBF Light Flyweight title.
Win	48–0–1	Rosendo Alvarez	SD	12(12)	November 13, 1998	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBA Minimumweight title. WBC Minimumweight title not on the line because Alvarez was over weight limit.
Draw	47–0–1	Rosendo Alvarez	TD	8(12)	March 7, 1998	Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles. For WBA Minimumweight title.
Win	47–0	Alex Sánchez	TKO	5(12)	August 23, 1997	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles. Won WBO Minimumweight title.
Win	46–0	Mongkol Charoen	UD	12(12)	March 29, 1997	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	45–0	Myung-Sup Park	TKO	1(12)	December 7, 1996	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	44–0	Morgan Ndumo	TKO	6(12)	November 9, 1996	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	43–0	Kitichai Preecha	KO	3(12)	June 29, 1996	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	42–0	Edito “Ala” Villamor	KO	8(12)	March 16, 1996	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	41–0	Andy Tabanas	TKO	12(12)	April 1, 1995	Buffalo Bill's Star Arena, Primm, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	40–0	Yamil Caraballo	TKO	1(12)	December 10, 1994	Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	39–0	Javier Varguez	TKO	8(12)	November 12, 1994	Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	38–0	Surachai Saengmorakot	TKO	1(12)	September 17, 1994	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	37–0	Kermin Guardia	UD	12(12)	May 7, 1994	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	36–0	Manny Melchor	KO	11(12)	December 18, 1993	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	35–0	Toto Pongsawang	TKO	11(12)	September 19, 1993	Capitol City Discotheque, Bangkok, Thailand	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	34–0	Saman Sorjaturong	TKO	2(12)	July 3, 1993	Parc de Beisbol La Junta, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	33–0	Kwang-Soo Oh	TKO	9(12)	January 31, 1993	Indoor Gymnasium, Pohang City, South Korea	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	32–0	Rocky Lin	KO	2(12)	October 11, 1992	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	31–0	Singprasert Kittikasem	KO	5(12)	August 22, 1992	Auditorio de Madero, Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	30–0	Pretty Boy Lucas	UD	12(12)	March 16, 1992	Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	29–0	Kyung-Yun Lee	UD	12(12)	December 21, 1991	Seoul, South Korea	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	28–0	Kimio Hirano	TKO	8(12)	May 19, 1991	Kusanagi Gymnasium, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan	Retained Lineal and WBC Minimumweight title.
Win	27–0	Hideyuki Ohashi	TKO	5(12)	October 25, 1990	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan	Won Lineal and WBC Minimumweight titles.
Win	26–0	Francisco Montiel	UD	10(10)	June 29, 1990	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	25–0	Jorge Rivera	KO	8(12)	March 15, 1990	Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Texas	Retained WBC Continental Americas Minimumweight title.
Win	24–0	Rey Hernandez	KO	12(12)	November 7, 1989	Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Won WBC Continental Americas Minimumweight title.
Win	23–0	Jose Luis Zepeda	TKO	7(10)	August 26, 1989	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	22–0	Raymundo Ricardo Mendoza	KO	5	August 4, 1989	Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico
Win	21–0	Abel Andres	KO	2	July 8, 1989	Leon, Baja California, Mexico
Win	20–0	Jorge Torres	KO	8)	May 30, 1989	Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	19–0	Javier Juarez	UD	10(10)	May 6, 1989	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	18–0	Ubaldo Gonzalez	TKO	6	January 27, 1989	Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	17–0	Ismael Benitez	UD	10(10)	November 12, 1988	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	16–0	Evaristo Morales	KO	5	August 27, 1988	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	15–0	Fermin Rivera	KO	3	July 30, 1988	Zacapu, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico
Win	14–0	Javier Alonso	UD	10(10)	August 18, 1987	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	13–0	Alex Mollado	KO	1	July 31, 1987	Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Win	12–0	Eduardo Ramirez	UD	10(10)	April 18, 1987	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	11–0	Herminio Ramirez	UD	10(10)	December 8, 1986	Tlalnepantla, México, México
Win	10–0	Jorge Flores	KO	2	October 6, 1986	Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, Mexico
Win	9–0	Herminio Ramirez	UD	10(10)	July 28, 1986	Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, Mexico
Win	8–0	Santiago Huizar	KO	2	May 1, 1986	Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
Win	7–0	Reyes Mendez	KO	1	March 24, 1986	Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, Mexico
Win	6–0	Narciso Panchi	KO	5	August 2, 1985	Arena Naucalpan, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	5–0	Manuel Martinez	KO	2	June 27, 1985	San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Win	4–0	Javier Dominguez	KO	3	March 8, 1985	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Win	3–0	Sebastian Reyes	KO	2	February 18, 1985	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Win	2–0	Antonio Arciniega	KO	2	February 6, 1985	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Win	1–0	Rogelio Hernandez	KO	3(4)	January 18, 1985	Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

See also

• List of WBC world champions
• List of WBO world champions
• List of WBA world champions
• List of IBF world champions

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Ricardo Lopez from BoxRec
• Official website