Friday night boxing is back this week as Top Rank and ESPN host a card from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) defends his title against the battle-tested Joet Gonzalez (26-3, 15 KOs). This promises to have fireworks as both men like to come forward, and the fight will take place on the eve of Mexican Independence Day.
The champion Lopez is coming off a huge fifth-round TKO victory in Belfast, U.K., over Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs). He’s been a little bit of a road warrior, as before the Conlan fight, Lopez went to Josh Warrington’s backyard and beat him. Lopez doesn’t have a textbook boxing style, but he makes it work, and on Friday night, he will try to stop Gonzalez, which no one has done yet.
Less than a week to go ⏳🔥#LopezGonzalez | SEP 15 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/QD5I6g5cTg
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 9, 2023
Gonzalez has been given multiple opportunities for a world title, but he can’t get over that hump. The challenge for Gonzalez will be to overcome a boxing style similar to WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete (38-1, 31 KOs), who he had trouble against in October 2021. Can Gonzalez finally put it all together and pull out the victory on Friday night?
LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ VS. JOET GONZALEZ BETTING ODDS
Per BetOnline.ag, Luis Alberto Lopez is the favorite at -700 (Under 10 ½ rounds +145), and Joet Gonzalez is the underdog at +450 (Over 10 ½ rounds -260).
LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ VS. JOET GONZALEZ FIGHT DATE, START TIME
- Date: Friday, September 15
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT
These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
WHAT CHANNEL/STREAM IS LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ VS. JOET GONZALEZ?
- U.S.: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
- UK: Sky Sports
LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ VS. JOET GONZALEZ FIGHT CARD
- Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez; For Lopez's IBF world featherweight title
- Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr.; middleweight
- Omar Aguilar vs. Julio Luna; welterweight
- Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran; lightweight
- Robson Conceicao vs. Humberto Galindo; junior lightweight
- Ruben Villa vs. Brandon Valdes; featherweight
- Tiger Johnson vs. Ricardo Quiroz; junior welterweight
