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Josesito Lopez totally dominated fellow veteran welterweight Francisco “Chia” Santana on tonight’s Spence-Garcia pay-per-view card, scoring a 10th round stoppage win that came too late for the tastes of many observers.
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Lopez (38-8, 21 KO) dropped Santana in the first, ninth, and 10th rounds, and it was after the ninth that it seemed everyone except for referee Neal Young and Santana’s corner had seen enough. Even after he got up from the knockdown, Santana (25-9-1, 12 KO) was staggered again at the end of the round, and wobbled to his corner badly enough that you could hear the crowd in AT&T Stadium reacting to him even after the camera had panned away.
But Santana’s corner, led by “Hoss” Janik, sent the 34-year-old out for the 10th round, giving him a last chance in a fight where he had lost every single round and taken a pretty large amount of punishment. Referee Young stopped the bout 1:22 in the 10th round, following another knockdown and then further punishment when the fight resumed.
It’s the fifth loss in six fights and three in a row for Santana, while Lopez picks up his second straight win following a competitive loss to Keith Thurman in Jan. 2019. And that’s the level Lopez hopes to get again in 2021.
“I deserve a big fight, and I want a world title,” Lopez said after the fight.
PBC have the WBC and IBF belts held by Errol Spence Jr, which will be defended later tonight, as well as the WBA “super world” title held by Manny Pacquiao and the WBA “world” title held by Yordenis Ugas. Of the options, Ugas would seem the most likely to actually accept a fight with Lopez.
@JosesitoLopez knocks down @ChiaSantana in RD1!
— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) December 6, 2020
BUY #SpenceGarcia PPV NOW: https://t.co/mEn4szRqyy pic.twitter.com/9kSBk10nSV
.@JosesitoLopez is breaking down the body of Santana with some hooks. #LopezSantana #PBConFOX
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) December 6, 2020
ORDER #SpenceGarcia PPV NOW! https://t.co/kM5jMnJ4eu pic.twitter.com/UaL73LR1h0
For the 2nd time in the fight @JosesitoLopez drops Santana! #SpenceGarcia
— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) December 6, 2020
BUY NOW: https://t.co/mEn4szRqyy pic.twitter.com/IYHQ6lMImh