ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -Juan Manuel Lopez stopped Olivier Lontchi in the ninth round to retain the WBO junior featherweight title Saturday night.
For Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs), the TKO was his 14th consecutive knockout.
``I knew going to be difficult,'' Lopez said. ``He was very awkward and very difficult to fight. I think the he was way fighting he wasn't really boxing. He was running a lot. I didn't feel like I was fighting as much as chasing. But I knew my strength would eventually get to him. I thought my power would wear him down.''
The 26-year-old earned the win when Lontchi went to his corner after the ninth round and told trainer Howard Grant he was unable to continue.
``He had a rib injury coming into the fight and he got hit with a bad shot there the round before (the eighth),'' Grant said. ``He actually wanted me to stop it after the eighth, but I told him to try it for one more round.''
Lopez, cheered on by a sparse-but-enthusiastic crowd of Puerto Rican supporters at Boardwalk Hall's Adrian Phillips Ballroom, scored two knockdowns in the scheduled 12-round bout.
He dropped Lontchi for the first time in the second round with a right hook to the side of the head. Early in the ninth, Lontchi walked into a straight left and went down in a heap before rising on unsteady legs.
Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto may be the most popular fighter in Puerto Rico, but Lopez is not far behind.
``He's a superstar, no question about it,'' said Lopez's promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. ``I can't see anybody who can stand up to him in the junior-featherweight or featherweight division.''
Lontchi, a native of Cameroon now living in Montreal, also earned some kudos with a respectable effort. The 26-year-old did not have enough firepower to slow Lopez's advances, but did his best to frustrate Lopez with an unorthodox style that included steady movement interspersed with occasional flurries.
Lopez, who was defending his title for the fourth time, appeared headed for an easy win when he dropped Lontchi in the second round. Two rounds later, however, Lontchi began to find the mark with his own punches. He caught Lopez off-guard with a series of crisp, straight rights that sent sweat flying from Lopez's brow and caused his fans to gasp in surprise.
With each passing round, Lontchi gained confidence. Lopez was still in command most of the time, but Lontchi didn't wilt.
That was especially apparent in the seventh round. Lopez punished Lontchi with a body attack that drove him into the ropes. But instead of buckling, Lontchi gamely fought back and even landed a straight right that caused Lopez to briefly back away.
Lopez was relentless.
According to CompuBox statistics, Lopez landed 244 of 592 punches (41 percent) to 84 of 271 for Lontchi (31 percent). He also owned a 211-65 advantage in power punches.
