46 years ago

Date: 15th February 1978

Venue: Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

Title: WBC World Featherweight Title

Promoter: Bob Arum

Danny Lopez
( 35 - 3 - 0 )
Weight: 126 lbs

David Kotey
( 38 - 3 - 2 )
Weight: 125 lbs

Fought as the chief supporting bout to Muhammad Ali's first meeting with Leon Spinks, Lopez and Kotey met in a rematch of Lopez's title-winning effort of fifteen months earlier in Accra, Ghana (W UD 15).

Lopez, known as 'Little Red' due to his flame-red hair, had made a single defence of his title since his first encounter with Kotey when he forced Mexico's Jose Torres to retire in 7 rounds at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on 13th September 1977.

Lopez left no doubt of his superiority over the tough Ghanaian, forcing referee Ray Solis to dive in and stop the fight at 1:18 of the 6th round after catching Kotey with a huge overhand right and a follow-up left-right to the head.

Lopez went on to make another six successful defences of his title before bumping into the then relatively unknown Mexican Salvador Sanchez.