By John J. Raspanti at ringside.

On Saturday night, Josesito Lopez’s plan was to shock the boxing world.

Lopez (28-4, 18 KOs) executed his plan perfectly, stopping the heavily favored Victor Ortiz (29-4, 22 KOs) after nine rounds of give and take action at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Lopez’s victory earned him the vacant WBC silver welterweight title.

A feeling out process highlighted round one. Ortiz, fighting out of the southpaw stance, landed a good left hook to the body and right hand to the head of Lopez. His jab also connected. The punches excited the pro Ortiz crowd. That would soon change. Lopez was content to follow Ortiz. He missed a right, but also landed a combination at the bell. Ortiz came out strong in round two. His jab looked crisper. He appeared eager to open up. A combination stung Lopez. The pride of Riverside countered with a left of his own. Ortiz shook the punch off and hurt Lopez with a sweeping left hook. Lopez landed his own right at the bell. Ortiz turned to boxing more in round three. He controlled the pace with his jab and occasional left hands to the body. Lopez connected with two big right hands that stunned Ortiz.

Round four was all Ortiz. A combination stopped Lopez in his tracks. Lopez was stalking, but not throwing punches. Ortiz took advantage and peppered Lopez to the head and body. Ortiz landed two hard lefts and a right. Lopez finally connected with a lead right near the end of the round. In round five Lopez took a knee after a wayward Ortiz right connected behind his head. After recovering, Lopez took the action to Ortiz. He landed a picture perfect combination to the chin. In round six, Ortiz returned to boxing Lopez. Like in round three, Ortiz kept Lopez on the end of his jab. He landed a hard left to the side of Lopez’s head.

Round seven was full of drama. The fighters traded punches evenly in the first minute. Lopez backed against the ropes. Ortiz obliged and a ripped off a sharp combination. Lopez landed a right. Ortiz took a step back, but Lopez dropped his hands and beckoned Ortiz to continue.

“I wanted to show him I was here to fight” said Lopez to doghouseboxing.com after the fight. “I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Lopez walked through a Ortiz left and connected with a crisp right hand. The crowd was now solidly in Lopez’s corner. Ortiz landed a three punch combination to start round eight. Lopez continued to stalk Ortiz. His face was beginning to show the effects of Ortiz’s powerful punches. He soldiered on, eating some more jabs, but also landing a right to the body. Ortiz landed a jolting left in round nine that knocked Lopez back. The 27-year-old was soon back in Ortiz’s grill. A left bounced off Ortiz’s chin. With thirty seconds to go in the round, Lopez’s back touched the ropes. Ortiz moved in, but Lopez tagged him with a left. Ortiz countered with a wicked combination. Lopez ducked and missed with a left but connected with a hard right on the side of Ortiz’s chin. Ortiz back-peddled away as if hurt. Lopez went after him and landed another right.

Within seconds of the bell ending the round, Ortiz trainer Danny Garcia was signaling to the referee that his man was finished for the night. The roar of the crowd cascaded through the arena, serenading Lopez for producing the upset of the year in boxing.
　

Lopez was ecstatic after the fight. “I knew I had to fight the fight my life to win,” he said in the ring. “I caught him in every round with hard punches. I knew the longer the fighter went, the better chance I had.”

Ortiz revealed that he had broken his jaw in the middle rounds. “I had my mouth open. He broke my jaw.” he said before leaving the ring.

Ortiz was well ahead on two of three judges scorecards. Kermit Bayless had the fight 86-85 Ortiz, the same score as doghouseboxing.com.

On the undercard, heavy handed Lucas Matthysse (31-2, 29 KOs) stopped Humberto Soto (59-8-2, 35 KOs) after five furious rounds. With the win, Matthysse claimed the vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title.

Soto won the first two round with quick combinations. In round three, Matthysee came out with more fire. He landed consecutive left hooks and a right hand. Mathyssee continued the shift of momentum in the next round. Soto’s combinations were landing, but having no effect on the stronger Matthysee. Soto stopped on a dime and landed another combination in round five, but Matthysee kept firing back. Finally near the end of the round, Matthysee connected with a combination of punches, punctuated with two heavy right hands that knocked Soto down. The veteran fighter pulled himself up, but was badly hurt. His corner soon advised the referee that the fight was over.

Jermal Charlo (18-0, 9 KOs) knocked out Dennis Douglin (14-2, 8 Kos) in the fifth round of a super middleweight contest. The fight was competitive through the first four rounds. Charlo cracked southpaw Douglin repeatedly with lead right hands. Douglin was able to land counter rights of his own. Charlo ended things in round five with a straight right that knocked Douglin on his side. The Marlboro, New Jersey struggled to get up. He made it, but the referee had seen enough. The time was 1:12.

Undefeated Randy Caballero’s (15-0, 8 KOs) body work paid dividends as he scored three knockdowns en route to a fifth round stoppage over southpaw Jamal Parram. Caballero struggled at first with the southpaw style of Parram. His aggressiveness took over in round two as he jolted Parram (5-6-1, 4 KOs) with hard punches to the head and body. By round five it was apparent that Parram was feeling the effects of Caballero’s consistent body shots. The time of the stoppage was 1:50.

Super lightweight Omar Figueroa (18-0, 15 KOs) found a home for his right hand immediately against Alain Hernandez.(18-11-2). The second right Figueroa landed staggered Hernandez. With Hernandez against the ropes and reeling, Figueroa unloaded a combination of blows. The referee waved off the context 1:34 of the opening stanza.

Michael Finny (9-0,7 KOs) defeated tough Joel Vargas (3-7-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision in the nights only four-rounder. Vargas landed a number of overhand right hands. The scoring was 40-36 by all three judges. This doghouse scribe saw a closer fight.

The announced crowd was 7,865.

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