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| CompuBox At Ringside: Lopez KO 7 Luevano | Gamboa KO 2 Mtagwa |
| Published on Jan 25, 2010 | Email To Friend Print Version
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CompuBox At Ringside
1/23/10 - New York, NY
Lopez KO 7 Luevano | Gamboa KO 2 Mtagwa
Saturday night’s doubleheader at Madison Square Garden was designed to pump up interest in a potential featherweight unification showdown between WBA champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez, who challenged WBO titlist Steve Luevano in the main event.
Mission accomplished. Each headliner turned in knockout performances as the Cuban comet was at his blazing best in stopping the usually durable Tanzanian Rogers Mtagwa while Lopez annexed Luevano’s belt via workmanlike seventh round TKO.
In the co-feature, Gamboa’s speed, dazzling combinations and withering accuracy led to three knockdowns and a spectacular preamble to the eventual showdown with Lopez. The Cuban’s quick-starting firepower proved poisonous against the notoriously slow-starting Mtagwa and virtually every punch was intended to score the quick KO he eventually earned.
The numbers were as spectacular as his performance: Of his 107 total punches and 53 connects (50 percent), 87 and 52 of them were power shots that sliced through Mtagwa’s defense at a 60 percent rate. According to PunchZone, 41 of Gamboa’s connects struck Mtagwa’s face and chin while the other 12 belabored his flanks. The head punches were almost equally distributed as 14 lefts and 16 rights hit the sides of Mtagwa’s head while the other 11 targeted the chin.
Meanwhile, Mtagwa was unable to launch much of an offense in the face of Gamboa’s onslaught as he went just 10 of 57 overall (18 percent) and 9 of 35 in power shots (26 percent). For what it’s worth, the PunchZone figures revealed that six of Mtagwa’s 10 connects were to the body, with the left hook striking most often (four times).
The main event featured more two-way action but Lopez’s freshness and superior talent proved to be the difference. Lopez demonstrated patience throughout the contest despite Luevano building a 35-30 advantage in total connects in the first two rounds. Starting in round three, however, JuanMa turned up the heat and Luevano couldn’t keep up. In rounds three through six Lopez out-landed Luevano 102-61 overall and 86-39 in power connects to set up the seventh round knockout.
Luevano tried his best to keep his WBO crown and the stats bear him out as he threw more punches (390-381), more jabs (214-101) and landed more jabs (44-23). But the Puerto Rican’s power numbers proved too much as he went 115 of 280 (41 percent) to Luevano’s 54 of 176 (31 percent). By attempting 45 power punches per round through six completed rounds Lopez methodically – and successfully – imposed his superior strength and physical gifts.
According to PunchZone, 105 of Lopez’s connects on Luevano targeted the head and were well distributed (35 lefts, 40 rights that produced a swelling and 30 to the chin). Of Lopez’s 36 connects to the body, 14 were inflicted by lefts and 19 by rights. As for Luevano, 71 of his 98 connects were to the head but of those 42 were to Lopez’s chin. As for the 27 body shots, it is interesting to note that 18 of them were produced by right hands because while Luevano fights as a southpaw he is a natural right hander.
After showing wildness and a vulnerable chin early in his career, Gamboa has found his stride in terms of channeling his extraordinary talent while Lopez has proven himself more than a quick-strike bomber. Should they ever meet – and Bob Arum will let this one simmer for a while – fans will be treated to boxing’s version of spontaneous combustion. |
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