Álvaro López (born May 21, 1951, in
Zacatecas
Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
), known as Yaqui López is a former Mexican
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
*Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
* Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
and current member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame (not to be confused with the
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
). A native of
Zacatecas
Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
, López is considered by many as one of the greatest
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
s to never become world champion.
Early life
López was born in
Zacatecas
Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
A young López had dreams of becoming a Matador. During his first bull fight when López was in his teens, a bull drove its horns into his ankle and shattered it. Due to his injury, López decided not to purse a bull fighting career.
Amateur career
López ended his amateur boxing career with a record of 13–3. At the Diamond Belt Championship in
Eureka, California
Eureka ( ; Wiyot: ; Hupa: ; ) is a city and the county seat of Humboldt County, located on the North Coast of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Bay, north of San Francisco and south of the Oreg ...
, he knocked out the defending champion to win the title.
Professional career
In April 1972, Álvaro won his pro debut against Herman Hampton at the
Civic Auditorium in
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
. The two would rematch in
Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,63 ...
less than two months later, with Álvaro stopping the bout early by knockout in the 2nd round.
WBC Light Heavyweight Championship
On October 9, 1976, López lost a unanimous decision to world champion
John Conteh. The fight was held in
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
.
WBA Light Heavyweight Championship
Álvaro met
Víctor Galíndez in two installments for the
WBA Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
Championship. The fights were held in Italy. Some boxing writers thought that Álvaro won the fights, though the decision victories went to the champion, Galíndez.
He was one of the few boxers of his time to challenge
James Scott James Scott may refer to:
Entertainment
* James Scott (composer) (1885–1938), African-American ragtime composer
* James Scott (director) (born 1941), British filmmaker
* James Scott (actor) (born 1979), British television actor
* James Scott (Sh ...
at the
Rahway State Prison.
1980 Fight of the Year
López would later fight in
Ring Magazine's 1980 Fight of the Year against
WBC Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
Champion,
Matthew Saad Muhammad. López dominated the first half of the fight, but all three score cards very close up until the fourteenth round. López eventually ran out of energy to continue fighting and was stopped.
WBC Cruiserweight Championship
In Álvaro's last world title attempt, he would lose to the much younger
WBC Cruiserweight Champion,
Carlos De León. López would then wait almost a year before fighting Bash Ali. Following the match, he retired from boxing.
Legacy
Lopez is a member of both the California Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. He has his own gym named after him, Yaqui Lopez's Fat City Boxing.
www.yaquilopezsfatcityboxing.com
/ref>
Professional boxing record
, -
, align="center" colspan=8, 61 Wins (39 knockouts, 22 decisions), 15 Losses (6 knockouts, 9 decisions
, -
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Res.
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Round
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location
, align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes
, -
, Loss
, 61-15
, align=left, Bash Ali
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 61-14
, align=left, Carlos De Leon
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 61-13
, align=left, Eddie Gonzales
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 60-13
, align=left, Mike Jameson
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 59-13
, align=left, James Williams
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 58-13
, align=left, Roger Braxton
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 57-13
, align=left, Ken Arlt
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 56-13
, align=left, David Smith
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 55-13
, align=left, Alvin Dominey
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 54-13
, align=left, Johnny Davis
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 54-12
, align=left, Tony Mundine
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 53-12
, align=left, ST Gordon
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 53-11
, align=left, Willie Taylor
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 52-11
, align=left, George O'Mara
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 51-11
, align=left, Grover Robinson
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 50-11
, align=left, Carl Ivy
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 49-11
, align=left, Michael Spinks
Michael Spinks (born July 22, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal ...
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 49-10
, align=left, Matthew Muhammad
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 49-9
, align=left, Bobby Lloyd
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 48-9
, align=left, Pete McIntyre
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 47-9
, align=left, James Scott James Scott may refer to:
Entertainment
* James Scott (composer) (1885–1938), African-American ragtime composer
* James Scott (director) (born 1941), British filmmaker
* James Scott (actor) (born 1979), British television actor
* James Scott (Sh ...
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 47-8
, align=left, Bash Ali
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 46-8
, align=left, Andros Ernie Barr
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 45-8
, align=left, Ivy Brown
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 44-8
, align=left, Wilbert Albers
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 43-8
, align=left, Matthew Muhammad
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 43-7
, align=left, Jesse Burnett
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 42-7
, align=left, Victor Galindez
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 42-6
, align=left, Mike Rossman
Mike Rossman (born Michael Albert DePiano on July 1, 1955) is an American former professional boxer who was the WBA light heavyweight champion of the world. He is of both Italian and Jewish descent, which led to his monikers "The Kosher Butcher ...
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 41-6
, align=left, Fabian Falconette
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 40-6
, align=left, Clarence Geigger
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 39-6
, align=left, Chuck Warfield
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 38-6
, align=left, Victor Galindez
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 38-5
, align=left, Benny Barra
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 37-5
, align=left, Manuel Fierro
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 36-5
, align=left, Bobby Lloyd
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 35-5
, align=left, Lonnie Bennett
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 35-4
, align=left, Larry Castaneda
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 34-4
, align=left, Danny Brewer
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 33-4
, align=left, Pete McIntyre
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 32-4
, align=left, Clarence Geigger
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 31-4
, align=left, John Conteh
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 31-3
, align=left, Larry Castaneda
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 30-3
, align=left, Karl Zurheide
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 29-3
, align=left, David Smith
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 28-3
, align=left, Terry Lee
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 27-3
, align=left, Jesse Burnett
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Loss
, 26-3
, align=left, Jesse Burnett
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 26-2
, align=left, Gary Summerhays
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 25-2
, align=left, Mike Quarry
Michael Wayne Quarry (March 4, 1951 – June 11, 2006) was an American light heavyweight boxer. He had a record of 63–13–6 including 17 knockouts during his career. He defeated such fighters as Jimmy Dupree.
Mike Quarry was born in Bakersfi ...
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 24-2
, align=left, Lee Mitchell
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 23-2
, align=left, Terry Lee
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 22-2
, align=left, Hildo Silva
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 21-2
, align=left, Bobby Rascon
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 20-2
, align=left, Joe Cokes
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 19-2
, align=left, Hildo Silva
,
,
,
, align=left,
, align=left,
, -
, Win
, 18-2
, align=left, Willie Warren
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 17-2
, align=left, Andy Kendall
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 16-2
, align=left, Al Bolden
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 15-2
, align=left, Alfonso Gonzalez
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 14-2
, align=left, Charlie Brooks
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 13-2
, align=left, Herman Hampton
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 12-2
, align=left, Ron Wilson
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 11-2
, align=left, Dave Rogers
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 10-2
, align=left, Ron Wilson
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 9-2
, align=left, Hildo Silva
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 8-2
, align=left, Al Bolden
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 8-1
, align=left, Polo Ramirez
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 7-1
, align=left, Van Sahib
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 6-1
, align=left, Herman Hampton
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 5-1
, align=left, Mark Hearn
,
, )
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 4-1
, align=left, Henry Tavake
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Loss
, 3-1
, align=left, Jesse Burnett
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 3-0
, align=left, Cisco Solorio
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 2-0
, align=left, Herman Hampton
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
, -
, Win
, 1-0
, align=left, Herman Hampton
,
,
,
, align=left,
,
References
External links
*
Homepage of Fat City Boxing Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Yaqui
1951 births
Living people
Boxers from Zacatecas
People from Zacatecas City
Light-heavyweight boxers
Cruiserweight boxers
Mexican male boxers
20th-century Mexican sportsmen