Orlando Salido ended the unbeaten record of Juan Manuel Lopez to claim the WBO featherweight title in Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Mexican curtails unbeaten record of featherweight champ
Orlando Salido ended the unbeaten record of Juan Manuel Lopez to claim the WBO featherweight title in Puerto Rico on Saturday.
The former WBO super-bantamweight champion entered the ring with a flawless 30-0 record with 27 kos, but was stopped in the eighth round by the Mexican taking part in his 49th fight.
Salido was expected to be a stepping stone on the way to IBF champion Yuriorkis Gamboa for Lopez, but he was tagged in the eighth and following a relentless assault the referee stepped in.
Lopez controlled the tempo in the early rounds but Salido ended each of the first three rounds strongly in a clear message to the 27-year-old champion.
The challenger took over in the fourth, scoring with lead left hands before appearing to stun Lopez with a big right that had the champion holding on.
The fifth started well for Lopez but ended badly - Salido caught by a long left early on before landing a left of his own followed by a huge right that dropped the champion for the first time.
Lopez survived to the bell but appeared to be still feeling the effects in the sixth, and although he fought back courageously there was little power in the punches.
The seventh was even as the home favourite appeared to have weathered the storm, although Salido still looked the fresher of the two.
And the challenger decided on all-out attack in the next, clubbing Lopez with big right hands that set the tone, the champion merely looking to survive the stanza.
But it wasn't to be - a couple of clean shots jarring back the head of Lopez and forcing Roberto Ramirez to save him from further punishment.
It means Salido is now on course for a rematch with Gamboa, whom he lost to last September.
