Need Help With Controversal ESPN Fight

Jack1000 · Post by **Jack1000** » 13 May 2004, 22:07

Guys,

What was that fight back in March of 1983 on ESPN that they featured on "ESPN 10 and Counting" that had some fighter go down at least 5 times. All the trips to the canvas were called "slips" by the hometown ref. Due to the fact that judges could not overturn the ref and score the bogus slips as knockdowns, the hometown fighter won the decision. Lopez-Veloz rings a bell. But I need to know the first names of the boxers to get full information about the fight. Was the decision unanimous, majority, or split for the hometown guy?

Jack

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 13 May 2004, 22:48

There's a Rafael Lopez WPTS 10 Juan Veloz on 06/24/1983 in Warwick, Rhode Island. That could be the bout youre looking for. I could also check some Ring magazine reports which should provide more detail if that's the case.

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 14 May 2004, 11:05

Broncano = da man. ;)

Hey, Broncano: the fight record here says nothing about a controversial decision - should that be added?

Hey, Jack1000, if it's any consolation, "Rhode Island" Rafael Lopez lost KO1 in his very next (and final) fight after that. Veloz went on to win his next 3, lose the 3 after that and then retire - last fight was 3 years and a day after the Rhode Island Robbery.

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 14 May 2004, 11:45

I went through several editions of Ring Magazine's "Rings around the world" section ranging from May-Sept 1983, but couldn't find one single card in Rhode Island. This of course doesn't mean that the fight didn't happen, it just means that RM didn't have anybody reporting from there at the time.

As it stands right now, the Lopez-Veloz fight is what editors call an "orphan" bout, meaning that there are no undercard results available. The best way get the particulars on this would be to check the original source, i.e. newspaper reports from RI around the date the bout allegedly took place. Until then we shouldn't add any more info than what is already entered.