Challenger Rudy Lopez of Mexico beat Japan's Takashi Koshimoto on a technical knockout in the seventh round yesterday to claim the WBC featherweight boxing title.
Lopez dominated the scheduled 12-rounder and stunned Koshimoto with a combination of punches in the seventh, forcing referee Ian John Lewis to stop the fight.
"Obviously, I'm thrilled," said Lopez, who was making his first bid for a world title. "My conviction to become champion led to this victory."
PHOTO: AP
"I was trying my best to show my talent. I don't really think that Koshimoto fought his style of boxing today," he said.
With the victory, the 22-year-old Lopez improved to 19-2 with 13 knockouts. Koshimoto, 35, fell to 39-2-2 with 17 knockouts.
It was Koshimoto's first defense of the title he won in January when he defeated Injin Chi of South Korea on a split decision to become the oldest Japanese boxer to claim a world title.
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