After a 22-month injury layoff, WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) retained his title with a hard-fought twelve round majority decision over Josesito “Riverside Rocky” Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs) on Saturday night before 9,623 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Thurman dropped Lopez with a left hook at the end of round two and built up a lead. Lopez made a strong run in the middle rounds, but Thurman adjusted and outboxed Josesito in the late rounds. Scores were 113-113, 115-111, 117-109.
Keith Thurman: “He had me buzzed and shaken up in the seventh round, but I tried to stay on the outside away. I was a little off in my prediction of how long his arms were. He lunged in and was really willing to commit to the knockout…he came right for me.
Josesito Lopez: “I definitely thought I held my own in that fight. I had him hurt in the seventh round and I was landing a lot of clean shots on him. I was disappointed I couldn’t finish him and get him out of there. If he thinks he’s the best welterweight out there, then I want two through five lined up for me.”