Ricardo Lopez vs Rocky Lin

The champion returned to the same Tokyo hall in which he had taken the title two years earlier and required less than five minutes to complete his fifth defence. At Korakuen Hall on 11 October 1992, Ricardo Lopez knocked out the unbeaten Rocky Lin with a single left hook in the second round, retaining the WBC minimumweight championship. Referee Marty Denkin stopped the contest at 1 minute 46 seconds without completing a count.

Lopez had won the championship at Korakuen Hall on 25 October 1990, when he stopped Japan’s Hideyuki Ohashi in five rounds. Four successful defences followed against Kimio Hirano, Kyung-Yun Lee, Pretty Boy Lucas and Singprasert Kittikasem. The Mexican returned to Japan with a record of 31 victories without defeat. Lin, born in Taiwan and established in Japanese boxing, was the WBC’s leading contender and had won all 14 of his professional contests. Both men weighed 104 pounds.

The opening round was cautious enough to offer Lin some encouragement. He attempted to maintain a high guard and answer from range, while Lopez studied his movement rather than pressing for an immediate conclusion. The champion stood neatly balanced, moving his head slightly outside the challenger’s punches and replying with straight rights and isolated left hooks. He did not yet throw combinations in quantity, but his punches were cleaner and carried greater authority. Lin remained composed and active, doing sufficient work for judge Dalby Shirley to award him the round 10-9. Barbara Perez and Rudy Ortega each scored it 10-9 for Lopez.

The difference became decisive in the second. Lopez began finding the target with the left hook from several positions. He swept the punch across Lin’s chest when the challenger stood upright, drove it upwards towards the ribs when Lin raised his elbows and brought it around the guard whenever Lin remained within range. One left hook early in the round sent the challenger stumbling backwards, though he recovered without being given a count. Lopez did not hurry. He retained his shape, continued measuring Lin and waited for another opening.

It came before the round was two minutes old. Lopez planted his feet and delivered a compact left hook which struck Lin cleanly on the chin. The challenger fell heavily and lay motionless on the canvas. Denkin recognised at once that no count was required and waved the contest over. There had been no prolonged assault and no accumulation demanding rescue. One accurate punch had settled the matter.

The result carried Lopez’s record to 32-0 and confirmed the precision that distinguished him from most fighters in the lightest division. Lin had entered unbeaten and officially ranked first by the WBC, but he lacked the defensive judgement to cope with the champion’s timing. Lopez did not overwhelm him through activity. He drew information from the first round, found the flaw in the challenger’s guard and finished the contest the moment the opening appeared. It was a brief defence, but a complete demonstration of balance, patience and exact punching.

In my opinion, Ricardo Lopez was one of the finest boxer-punchers of recent decades. He had everything in the correct order: balance, distance, defence and then power. Nothing was wasted.

Rocky Lin entered unbeaten and ranked first by the WBC, but Lopez worked him out inside one round. He found the opening around Lin’s guard and began placing the left hook from different angles.

The finishing hook in the second was short, accurate and perfectly timed. Lin was out immediately. That was Lopez at his best, technically correct but always dangerous.