The win moved Lopez to 16-0 (13 KOs) and earned him the WBA Continental Americas and WBO Latino light heavyweight titles.
Gallegos (22-4-1, 19 KOs) forced the type of fight he wanted early on. The fighter from Los Mochis kept Lopez working hard exchanges, pushing forward and throwing heavy hooks and body shots in rounds that rarely went down.
The fight reached its dramatic moment in the seventh round when Gallegos knocked out Lopez during a furious fight. Instead of disengaging, Lopez quickly collected himself and began firing with a heavy gun as the action erupted into another violent round.
In the eighth, Gallegos was still ahead but received more punishment than ever before in the fight. Lopez finally locked him in the corner and let loose a lot forcing the referee to intervene.
“That just goes to show you that I’m a true champion and I’m here to stay,” Lopez said afterward. “I’m determined to prove that every time I step in the ring. He was so much better than him. I fought a real champion tonight.”
Lopez also acknowledged the pressure brought by Gallegos.
“It’s a tough match right there,” Lopez said. “As soon as I got him on the hook, I didn’t let him go. That was a 100% test, and I feel like I passed.”
Valle wins a controversial decision
In a 10-round super featherweight contest, Dominic Valle (13-0, 7 KOs) earned a controversial unanimous decision over veteran Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (29-6-3, 14 KOs).
Ramirez controlled much of the early action, crowding Valle and forcing the smaller striker to fight off the back foot. The veteran Mexican rocked Valle in the fifth round with a hook before Valle connected later in the round with an uppercut that rocked Ramirez.
Valle’s right eye began to close as the fight entered the middle rounds, but he continued to throw to the body and scored victories in the seventh and eighth rounds. Ramirez finished the final round with a powerful combination of head and body.
The judges scored the fight 96-94 and 98-92 twice for Valle.
Benjamin is still undefeated
Light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (14-0-1, 9 KOs) continued his undefeated streak with an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Lozano (8-1, 6 KOs).
The fight was competitive in the opening rounds before Benjamin took control in the fourth with long jabs and straight right hands. Lozano had success in the sixth round behind his jab but couldn’t keep up the momentum in the closing stages.
Benjamin finished strong and won by scores of 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.
McKinley is struggling
Heavyweight Delvin McKinley (14-5-1, 13 KOs) earned a majority decision over Italy’s Christian Chessa (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round fight between the two boxers.
McKinley hurt Chessa in the second round with an uppercut that caused swelling under the Italian’s left eye. Chessa tried to box and move in the middle rounds, landing counters and body shots, but McKinley’s pressure and power punches carried the closing rounds.
The judges returned the scores 57-57 and 58-56 twice for McKinley.
Valle opens the broadcast with a decision
Kenyan Valle (3-0, 1 KO) opened the televised portion of the card with a six-round unanimous decision over Anel Dudo (4-7-1, 1 KO).
Valle began stringing together combinations after a careful opening round and gradually dominated the exchanges. Dudo had success with pressure and an uppercut that briefly troubled Valle, but the younger striker’s accuracy carried the fight.
All three judges scored Valle 59-55, 59-55, and 60-54.
