Verdejo Stops Lopez in Five; Set For 6/13 In New York
Apr 25, 2015 • 11:49 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
Felix Verdejo came up big in his first fight of 2015, knocking out Marco Antonio Lopez in the 5th round of their lightweight bout Saturday evening in front a sold-out crowd in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
Upwards of 6,000 fans packed into Coliseo Mario 'Quijote' Morales for Verdejo's first fight back home since last summer. The unbeaten lightweight prospect didn't disappoint, remaining in control from the opening bell.
Action was slow out the gate but quickly progressed. Verdejo dialed up the heat, scoring with body shots to break down Lopez before bringing a sudden end to the fight after connecting with a left hook upstairs. Lopez (24-6, 15KOs) hit the deck, bringing an end to the fight in round five.
Verdejo improves to 17-0 (13KOs) with the win. The only letdown in his continued progress was his absence from a February show in Tampa. Verdejo was due to headline in what would have marked his 2015 debut, but was forced off the show after suffering an injury during training camp.
The supremely gifted 21-year old - who represented Puerto Rico during the 2012 London Olympics - returns to the ring June 13 in New York City. His showdown versus Ivan Najera will play in front of a rabid crowd at Madison Square Garden Theatre, on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade.
Saturday's bout aired via slight delay on UniMas in the United States.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
