Ricardo Lopez vs Michael Carbajal @108

I was so wanting this fight or Lopez-Chiquita Gonzalez back in the day. It would have told us just how good El Finito really was.

My head says Lopez was just too well rounded and talented for Carbajal but my heart says that Carbajal had the blend of power, will and grit to produce a boil over. A classic matchup and one that should've happened in my view. Gonzalez-Carbajal 1 is still one of the top 5 fights of the 1990's in my view and this could've been every bit as good.

Yeah I'm aware I'm fence sitting on this.

 

I'm with you on this - this was a real missed opportunity back in the 90s. I reckon Carbajal could have caused Finito some real problems.

 

I'm gonna go against the grain and pick Carbajal. Great match up.

 

I was too lol....maybe it’s not the against the grain pick we thought

 

I think Finito outboxes Michael just like Chiquita did in the second match. Unlike Gonzalez, Lopez was never reckless in the ring. Always cold precision. But, Such a shame that Lopez never fought either of them. Although Lopez did annihilate Saman Sorjaturong. The same Saman Sorjaturong that stopped Gonzalez just a year or two later.

 

Lopez out boxes him ,,badly. Carbajal's face would show a lot of wear. Wide UD

 

Carbajal: 49-4-0 (33 k.o.'s)
height 5′ 5½″
reach 63″

Lopez:
height 5′ 5″
reach 65″

Lopez retired with a professional record of 51-0-1 (38 KOs).

• Lopez vs. Petelo was the main undercard bout of Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad.
• The card was originally scheduled for September 15, 2001, but was postponed two weeks because of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
• The Chicago Tribune reported: "Unbeaten Ricardo Lopez retained his International Boxing Federation light flyweight title by dropping challenger Zolani Petelo twice, in the second and eighth round. Badly beaten, Petelo stayed on one knee until referee Arthur Mercante's count reached 10."
• This was Lopez's final bout. He retired with a professional record of 51-0-1 (38 KOs).
• This was also the final bout for 81-year-old referee Arthur Mercante Sr., who referred 145 world title fights during his career.

 

Chiquita better in close, could swith hit and more likely to throw quick flurries. Not at all stylistically comparable to Lopez, even with the Nacho connection.

I would say this all rests on one thing: do you think Carbajal can do a better job than Rosendo Alvarez? A closer stylistic comparison.

 

Hey Flea. I respect your opinion quite a bit. Especially on these weight classes. However, I think the Alvarez point is a little unfair. Lopez had been champ for almost 10 years at that point. He was in his 30s (which is usually ancient in these small weight classes) and was clearly slowing down a bit. And, Alvarez was no slouch. He was young, strong, and did win a title again after losing to Lopez. I don't see SSR blowing out a fighter like Alvarez by any means. Rosendo is a hard night's work for any fighter.

 

SSR? Srisaket? He’d annihilate Alvarez, who was far less imposing at the higher weights.

Fair comment on Lopez’s best years, but he was always open to the overhand right. Also, that’s the time he fought his absolute best opponent, so I have little to go on in terms of whether it’d be any different in his prime.

 

Carbajal was the harder puncher, but could be outboxed. Lopez has the superior defense and technique, and hit pretty hard in his own right. Carbajal has his moments, but Lopez has more and emerges with a clear decision.

 

Pretty sure Lopez would have outclassed Carbajal. Carbajal was the bigger puncher, but didnt have much else on Finito.

 

I think folks are putting Carbajal in the Gatti category here...he was a league above that, absolutely nails, could punch with either hand, and was capable of setting his shots up.

I’m picking Lopez to win, but I find it weird that less people picked Zapata to beat Carbajal than Lopez (I also picked Carbajal to beat Zapata but for different reasons)

 

I have a literal **** ton of Carbajal footage on my Youtube, including a high definition high quality copy of Carbajal/Chiquita I.

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