Emmanuel Rodriguez Dominates Melvin Lopez To Win The Vacant IBF Bantamweight Title
Emmanuel Rodriguez secured the vacant IBF bantamweight title with a unanimous-decision win over Melvin Lopez, which included three knockdowns in the final round.
In a one-sided fight, Rodriguez overpowered his opponent from the off. He kept Lopez on the backfoot for most of the fight, as his stinging shots landed with accuracy on numerous occasions.
It was Rodriguez’s right hand that snapped Lopez’s head back, as the latter was constantly on the ropes.
.@ERodriguezManny is connecting 🥊🔥
Watch #RodriguezLopez NOW on @Showtime. pic.twitter.com/IGFTwTqLo7
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) August 13, 2023
Lopez did appear to have some success, as shown by Rodriguez’s swollen eye. However, a clash of heads did result in that even if was officially acknowledged as a result of the punches he was receiving.
Undeterred, Rodriguez kept coming forward, looking for opportunities for openings. And it all came to a head in the final round.
As Lopez recognised that a win was not possible, unless he secured a stoppage, the former retreated on the ropes.
As he did so, Rodriguez let his hands go. He dropped his opponent three times.
While Lopez did take his time to get up from the count, he did manage to last the distance as the referee refrained from stopping the fight.
.@ERodriguezManny knocks Lopez down 3 times to close out the night of boxing 👊#RodriguezLopez #Showtime pic.twitter.com/Kle11riVcR
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) August 13, 2023
As the fight went to the scorecards, the judges had it firmly in favor of Rodriguez: 120-105, 120-105, and 120-105.
Reaction
.@ERodriguezManny worked hard for this moment and won by UD 🏆#RodriguezLopez #Showtime pic.twitter.com/JVl1qw0Zzd
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) August 13, 2023
“It was really six months in Mexico away from my family, working to make this possible. So five years ago I was champion. It took five years, but now I am champion again.
“My corner was very calm about [my eye]. It was a headbutt in the second round that I felt. I felt the inflammation round by round but the corner did their job on maintaining the calm and saying that I was ok.
“Maybe [I had issues seeing] for a couple of seconds in the second round straight after the headbutt…but that was the only time. I felt great,” Rodriguez