By Francisco Salazar

StubHub Center, Carson, California - For NABO, NABA junior welterweight titles, Alex Saucedo (27-0, 17 KOs), who is trained by Abel Sanchez, knocked out Abner Lopez (25-9, 21 KOs) in the seventh round.

It was a real physical battle from the very first round and there was very little defense. Saucedo's face was pretty marked up by the second round as both of them were landing some very hard shots.

Lopez was pressing forward in the third and slugging away with Saucedo, who was having the edge in the fire fight. Saucedo was using side to side movement in the fourth to outslug Lopez.

In the fifth, Lopez made it close by picking up his workrate. During the sixth, Lopez was rocked against the ropes and took some punishment, but managed to stay on his feet.

During the seventh, Saucedo put together combination that was finished by a left hook to the liver and Lopez went crashing down in pain. The referee quickly waved off the contest.

Saucedo, ranked No 3 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) at 140 pounds, last fought on November 11, 2017, in Fresno, California,  overcoming a cut left eye to knock out Gustavo Vittori in the third round. Soon after the bout, the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native returned to Sanchez’s gym.

“This is my second winter in Big Bear. This is my home,” Saucedo said. “The other fighters that train here are like family. Everyone gets along. It’s a great environment, and it motivates me to train and work hard.”

“Abel and I are getting along very well, and we are ready to do big things together,” Saucedo said. “I do this for my family, and I really believe that coming up here to train has made me a better fighter. Being away from my daughter and my family for so many weeks it’s a big sacrifice, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice to achieve my dream of becoming a world champion.”