Judges in Antonio Orozco-Abner Lopez fight really stunk up the joint in Indio

Antonio Orozco, right, was lucky to win by the wide margin he won by in Saturday’s fight with Abner Lopez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

It’s such a shame that we have to deal with bad scoring, even though it has always been part of the sweet science.

Take Saturday’s junior welterweight fight between top contender Antonio Orozco of San Diego and Abner Lopez of Tijuana at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. After 10 rounds, Lopez had done well enough that it would not have been shocking if he had been announced as the winner. At the very least, the scores should have been close.

Yet, veteran judges Lou Moret and Pat Russell came up with the same ridiculous score of 99-91 in favor of Orozco, the house fighter for Golden Boy Promotions. Max DeLuca had it 97-93 for Orozco.

There were more than a few boos when the cards were read. I polled a few of my press-row peers and they all said they thought the bout was close. One veteran writer had it even. Heck, I spoke with someone in Orozco’s camp. I’ll leave his name out of it, but he told me, “It was close.”

So when even someone from Orozco’s camp concedes the bout was close, I’d say that makes it official – the cards just stunk.

You can’t help but feel badly for Lopez (23-6) . He came in with five losses and he was not supposed to be much of a problem for undefeated Orozco (25-0). If anything, this was thought by some to be your proverbial stay-busy fight for Orozco.

For the most part, it was Lopez stalking Orozco. Lopez fought with supreme confidence, and he gave Orozco way more grief than those lousy scorecards suggest.

Shame on the judges. They’ve been around too long to come up with scores like this in an obvious close fight.

 

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Joseph Diaz Jr., Victor Proa make weight for Saturday’s fight at Fantasy Springs

Joseph Diaz Jr./Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte and Victor Proa of Mexico on Friday made weight for their featherweight bout Saturday at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio (on HBO Latino).

Diaz (20-0, 11 KOs) – ranked No. 3 in the world – weighed in at the 126-pound limit while Proa (28-1-2, 21 KOs) came in well under at 123.8 pounds. Proa has fought just once over the past 6 1/2 years and that was this past February.

The co-main event will feature highly ranked junior welterweight Antonio Orozco (24-0, 16 KOs) of San Diego going against Abner Lopez (23-5, 19 KOs) of Tijuana. Orozco weighed 142, two pounds over the 140-pound limit. Lopez came in at 140.

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With a contract extension in hand, all Antonio Orozco needs now is a title

Antonio Orozco/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

When undefeated Antonio Orozco enters his July 30 fight against Tijuana’s Abner Lopez at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, in Orozco’s back pocket will be a newly signed multi-year contract extension with Golden Boy Promotions.

The accord was reached this week.

“Since I was a child I always dreamed to be part of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions,” Orozco, of San Diego, said Monday. “This is where I started my career and this is where I would like to finish. I am at my prime, and re-signing with Golden Boy represents the second chapter of my career of becoming a world champion.”

Orozco, 28, is 24-0 with 16 knockouts and is ranked No. 1 at junior welterweight by one governing body; he’s in the top 10 of the other three. De La Hoya speaks highly of him.

“Antonio Orozco is one of the best fighters in our stable at Golden Boy Promotions, and with his natural talent, skill and strong work ethic, he is poised to become a world champion in this sport, without a doubt,” De La Hoya said.

Orozco-Lopez will be televised by HBO Latino.

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South El Monte’s Joseph Diaz Jr. to take on Victor Proa of Mexico on July 30

Joseph Diaz Jr./Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

When Golden Boy Promotions announced Wednesday that junior welterweight Antonio Orozco of San Diego and featherweight Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte would co-headline its July 30 card at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Golden Boy had yet to secure an opponent for Diaz.

That has changed as Golden Boy has lined up Victor Proa of Mexico as Diaz’s foe for this card that will be televised by HBO Latino.

Proa, 31, is 28-1-2 with 21 knockouts. But that is very misleading because Proa’s ring record is comprised mostly of tomato cans. In Proa’s most recent bout, he took on Oswaldo Oziel Delgado and Proa stopped Delgado in the first round. Delgado entered with a record of 0-4.

Diaz (20-0, 11 KOs) is ranked as high as No. 3 in the world by one organization.

Orozco (24-0, 16 KOs) will tangle with Abner Lopez (23-5, 19 KOs) of Tijuana. Orozco is ranked as high as No. 1, but as a junior welterweight.

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Richard Schaefer does not want Antonio Orozco to be a one-hit wonder

Antonio Orozco is not quite ready for a world-title bout, but the Tecate, Baja California-born super lightweight is getting close. The thing is Richard Schaefer wants to make sure that when Orozco is given that shot, he not only is ready to win, but has the wherewithal to remain champion for a while.

“You want to make sure that the guy who just became world champion has the necessary tools in the tool box to not just be a one-hit wonder, but to be a long-term world champion who can take out the necessary tools as he fights and defends his world titles, and has gone through some adversity in that road to the world title and has learned from that adversity,” said Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Orozco.

Orozco, 26, lives in San Diego. He is 19-0 with 15 knockouts and has stopped his past seven opponents inside the distance. His moniker is “Relentless,” and he lives up to it.

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