By: Sean Crose
Oscar Valdez and Adam Lopez ran it again Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Their first fight, in 2019, was a bit of a surprise. Valdez eventually stopped his man, but not before Lopez made him taste the rug. Valdez 30-1 not only managed to bounce back from the first and only loss of his career, a loss courtesy of Shakur Stevenson more than a year earlier. Later. He was looking to show off his competitiveness that the first game against Lopez 16-4 was simply a fluke. The Valdez-Lopez match was scheduled for the 10th in junior lightweight.
Valdez had an impressive first, stalking his man and landing well. Lopez managed to do something in the second, even though he didn’t seem to have the strength to do much – even though he had knocked Valdez out once before. Furthermore, Valdez seemed to have a harder time approaching his man throughout the round. However, that was not the case for Valdez in season three, as he was able to land with difficulty.
Lopez fought deftly in the fourth round, with some positive results. However, Valdez was able to take several shots, which could have a cumulative effect on Lopez as the game goes on. The fifth shot shows a rare skill that Valdez possesses, the ability to land when his opponent is backing at a corner. Lopez had his moments, but his punches weren’t as effective as Valdez’.
The sixth inning is a better chapter for Lopez, who can hit and run more than before. The weaker team also came to life with Valdez late in the seventh inning. Unfortunately for Lopez, Valdez’s greater strength makes him a more effective puncher. All the dancing, running, and showing off that Lopez used in season eight probably got him nowhere on the judges’ cards.
Valdez repeatedly kicked his man in the ninth inning. A headbutt appeared to have hit Lopez in the nose early in the tenth round. To give credit, the man continued to fight. However, Valdez beat him hard in the last minute of the inning. Both men fell, but got up quickly. Lopez survived the inning deftly, but the fight clearly belonged to Valdez.
“Nothing personal,” Valdez said after being awarded the decisive win by the judges. “On the contrary. I love Adam Lopez, I love his father.”
