Alfonso Lopez Crushes Aaron Norwood

Alfonso Lopez Crushes Aaron Norwood

By Vikram Birring at ringside, Doghouse Boxing (Sept 22, 2009)

Alfonso Lopez is the hottest prospect you’ve never heard of. While other Houston prospects like Omar Henry, Jermell Charlo, Marcus Johnson, and Hylon Williams are signed with big name promoters, Lopez has made his path on the club show circuit, and though fighting the usual assortment of record building “opponents,” has the appearance of something special. Though he is beating men he is supposed to beat, he has excellent technique, stamina, and composure. He is rare, a club fighter with world championship potential.

On this night, Aaron Norwood, a skinny, aging fellow from Mississippi took claim at Lopez’s Texas Light Heavyweight Championship. In his previous bout, he faced former world champion Glen Johnson, so this was a massive step up for Lopez. Norwood was not just a piece of meat expecting a paycheck.

After observing his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses in the first, Lopez 16-0 (13) opened up in the second. A left hook wobbled Norwood 26-12-2 (13), and Lopez followed up with a flurry. He closed the round with two more hooks. Lopez is rather confident, well aware of his skills, and smiled as he walked back to his corner.

A punch to the body causes more pain than a punch to the skull. It is said to be so intense that one feels as if his body is being squeezed in, and the response is simply to writhe in pain. Aaron Norwood felt this pain as Lopez landed a perfectly placed body shot to the liver in the fourth. Norwood had no shot of getting up, and the referee immediately stopped the match. Official time was one minute, thirteen seconds.

Heavyweights Billy “Third Ward” Willis and Robbie “Crazy” McClimans waged a spirited six round grudge match. The two locals fought in the summer of 2006, and McClimans won a majority decision. Willis has waited a long time for the rematch, and three years later, he finally got it.

The two styles meshed beautifully, as Willis was more active, but McClimans waited and picked his spots. In the end it was a question of Willis’s activity against the clean, accurate punching of McClimans. The result was the same as the first bout, a majority decision victory for McClimans. Official scores were 57-57, 58-56, 58-56.

When Othello Jackson plodded to the ring, those ringside shook their heads in disbelief, already knowing what the result would be. In three previous bouts, Jackson had three defeats, three knockout losses. Debuting Fred Allen added one more to the collection, finishing Jackson off in ninety seconds. How boxers like Jackson even get a license is repulsive.

In his last bout, twenty-one year old Mike Wagendlast knocked out local businessman turned boxer Chris Hernandez. His second fight was a massive step up, against experienced local Alicio Castaneda.

Wagendlast had the reach and size advantage, but Castaneda quickly adjusted to his style. First, he completely nullified the jab by blocking and throwing his own jab at the same time. Then he began to potshot, landing sickening head blows, and circling around the ring. In the fourth, a right cross completely flattened Wagendlast, who somehow made it back up. That was not the best of ideas, as upon rising, Castaneda landed another right and sent Wagendlast sprawling to the canvas. Official time was two minutes, two seconds.

In the opener, Joe Lewis, who was quickly knocked out in the first round in his pro debut in the first round April 24, is not giving up on his career. If he faces more opponents like Tremayne Hines, he would never lose.

One timid body shot ended the fight after only two minutes and ten seconds.

Hines’s record is pathetic: three victories, fifteen defeats, and two draws, without a victory since 2001.

Eight years ago, August 24, 2001, George W. Bush was the president of the United States, the World Trade Centers still stood, and Miley Cyrus was only nine years of age.

Giving licenses to boxers like Hines and Jackson is the underbelly of boxing that nobody wants to talk about. This is worse than any bad decision on the higher levels, because these men need to be saved from themselves. They don’t know any better and receiving brain damage for minimal pay, building up records for club fighters who themselves probably will be exposed at some point because fighting opposition like this does no favors to anyone. The fans agreed and booed the result, smelling the garbage the second Hines went down.

There are opponents and then there are those like Othello Jackson and Tremaine Hines. Hopefully the commission steps in like they did in February with Rafael Torres and suspends them indefinitely.

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Vikram at: vikram.birring@gmail.com