Lopez KOs Luevano, claims feather crown

NEW YORK – Juan Manuel Lopez knocked out Steven Luevano in the seventh round using a brutal left hook to claim the WBO title in the main event of a featherweight doubleheader on Saturday.

Earlier, rising star Yuriorkis Gamboa defended his WBA belt with a sensational second-round knockout of rugged challenger Rogers Mtagwa.

“We saw the video and we knew the right was there for me all night,” said Lopez, who fought a more disciplined fight than his last time out, when he was taken to the brink by Mtagwa in October. “I could feel I was landing it, and I was very surprised he took so many punches. He took a lot of punishment.”

Lopez, the junior featherweight champion, moved up to challenge Luevano and was simply overwhelming at 126 pounds (57 kilograms).

He staggered the champion early in the seventh before finally trapping Luevano against the ropes, unleashing a combination capped by a flush left near the corner. Luevano staggered to his feet by the count of 10, but referee Benji Esteves wisely waved it off.

“He’s a great fighter and a great hitter,” said Luevano, his left eye swelling shut. “I was blocking that right punch during the entire fight, and he got one in.”

It was the first fight for Luevano since a disqualification victory against Bernabe Concepcion in August. Luevano was leading on the scorecards when the bell ended the seventh round and Concepcion didn’t hear it, unintentionally blasting him with a left-right combination that sent him down and out.   (AP)