Patterson comes in the fight at 182 pounds, his weight the night he won the title. So he's not that much larger than Lopez. Lopez was tough and game and would come to fight.
Coming in at 182lbs? Lopez stands even less of a chance of the infinitesimally low chance he already would have if Patterson came in at 175lbs. Lopez gets stopped, Patterson is levels above skill wise and would hit him at will, would land offensive jabs springing up from low to catch the stiff Lopez off guard, would also throw jabs to the body and lefts hooks to the body and would eventually start throwing lead hooks by getting low and springing up and Lopez would fall for it with Patterson having thrown a few jabs and body shots, as soon as Patterson got low, Lopez would think it’s coming down the middle of to the body the same as Johansson did, but more one sided. Patterson would also be able to land counter right over the top and get inside at will and tear him up and beat him to the punch in the trades with his speed, he’d even be able to outbox him on the outside if he wanted, all this even at 175lbs. Levels.
It's a largely untested theory, but Patterson was potentially an ATG at 175 in a different era. There aren't many fighters of his natural size and frame that I'd favour over him H2H. As tough as Yaqui was, I think Floyd would slice him up. Patterson was a pretty dangerous puncher as well for his size, so he may stop him.
Yaqui Lopez was a good fighter but he can’t beat Floyd Patterson and nor do I understand how he got in the hall of fame
