Luis Alberto Lopez, the fearsome IBF featherweight champion, has made a habit of taking out his opponents in their hometowns.
“Venado” Lopez did that when he beat Josh Warrington in Leeds to win his world title.
He did that in Belfast when he dismantled Michael Conlan and even knocked out Isaac Lowe in Bethnal Green’s York Hall.
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IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez dominated challenger Reiya Abe scoring an eighth-round TKO knockout in New York
He plans on doing the same when he fights Angelo Leo at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, live on Sky Sports Action from 2am on Sunday morning.
“I’m used to being taken to different parts of the world. London. Leeds. It doesn’t matter where I go. ‘Venado’ Lopez, the ‘Road Warrior,’ will always do his job,” Lopez declared.
“I work hard in the gym to do what I have to do. If we can end the fight early, we’ll do that. Either way, I’m coming back home as a world champion.”
He added: “Angelo Leo is a former world champion. He wants to be a world champion again. So, we expect the best version of him, and it will be a war.”
Leo though promises to be inspired for this challenge. “In my last fight, the main goal was to win. I knew everything else would fall into place with a Venado fight,” the American said.
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Luis Alberto Lopez was triumphant over Joet Gonzalez by unanimous decision as he defended his IBF featherweight title
“This means the world to me. Fighting back in my hometown is something I’ve always wanted. And what better way to do it than with a title shot.”
Lopez does have something that sets him apart – devastating power for the division, reminiscent of featherweight star Naseem Hamed.
“He punches like someone I’ve never seen before in that division. I mean you go back to Prince Naseem levels of power. He literally puts people away,” said Carl Frampton, the former two-weight world champion and Eurosport boxing expert.
For featherweight, Lopez is seriously heavy-handed
“Serious, serious puncher. Strange style. He doesn’t typically look like the best boxer in the world but when he hits you you know all about it. I’m pretty confident that he’ll retain his title.”
Lopez rocketed into public consciousness when he beat Josh Warrington, who had himself defeated Frampton to retain that IBF belt.
“I didn’t know much about him [Lopez] at that stage,” Frampton said. “I was shocked but since I’ve seen the Warrington fight and everything else he’s done after it, he is starting to become less of a surprise, he is a great fighter.
“He’s an animal.”
Watch the Luis Alberto Lopez vs Angelo Leo IBF featherweight world title fight live on Sky Sports Action from 2am.