Lopez overcomes knockdown and severe cut before trapping Gallegos on the ropes for late stoppage
Najee Lopez (16-0, 13 KOs) stopped Manuel Gallegos (22-4-1, 19 KOs) at 2:41 of the eighth round after surviving a knockdown and a severe cut. The referee waved it off when Gallegos sagged against the ropes under a barrage of punches.
Trouble arrived early for Lopez. An accidental clash of heads in round two opened a deep cut over his right eye, sending blood down his face and forcing ringside checks before the next rounds began.
Despite the injury, Lopez kept pressing forward. Gallegos answered with steady pressure and body shots that slowed the unbeaten contender through the middle rounds. The exchanges turned physical as both fighters stood their ground and traded hooks and straight punches.
The fight swung dramatically in round seven when Gallegos landed a short right hand that dropped Lopez during an exchange. Lopez rose quickly and fought through the closing seconds of the round with his right eye swelling and blood still flowing.
Gallegos was also cut during the same round, leaving both fighters marked up heading into the eighth.
Lopez steadied himself by returning to the jab and driving a right hand through the middle that stunned Gallegos. With his opponent hurt, Lopez stepped in and fired repeated combinations along the ropes until the referee stepped between them.
“All I thought in there, I was thinking Diego Corrales, I was thinking Marvin Hagler, I was thinking championship s***,” Lopez said afterward. “As soon as I had him on the hook, I wasn’t going to let up.”
“That just shows you I’m a true champion and I’m here to stay,” Lopez said after the stoppage. “I’m willing to prove it every time I step in the ring.”
Lopez also acknowledged the pressure Gallegos applied from the opening round.
“He was the best version of himself possible. I fought a true champion tonight.”
“That’s a tough mf right there,” Lopez added. “Soon as I had him on the hook, I wasn’t going to let him off.”
The victory keeps Lopez unbeaten and maintains his position among the top contenders at light heavyweight. The fight headlined a ProBox TV card at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
