Angelo Leo becomes two in stunning fashion after knocking out Luis Alberto ‘Venado’ Lopez with a stunning punch to claim the IBF featherweight world title level world champion.
Leo (25-2, 12 KOs) delivered a strong contender for Knockout of the Year with an impressive win at Tinley Arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A profound way to end a hometown win.
Leo’s boxing was smart, while Venado put his hands down and pushed forward confidently. Undeterred, Leo moved his feet and set up short combinations.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Although Vinardo (30-3, 17 KOs) occasionally connected, Leo often fought back in the mid-rounds with quick combinations and strong counters when Vinardo was off balance.
The Mexican powerhouse didn’t seem bothered by Leo’s punches, but a perfectly placed left hook in the tenth round sent Venado on his back, ending the fight with 76 seconds remaining.
Angel Leo wins IBF Featherweight World Championship with stunning KO
Leo, a former WBO junior featherweight world champion, won world titles in two weight classes alongside fellow Duke City natives Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero.
“It means the world to me, fighting in my hometown,” Leo said. “I’ve been longing for this moment. Like I said, what better way to do that than to fight for a world title and knock someone out?
“That left hook, we’ve been practicing it in training camp for four or five months. Not in the gym, but in front of the mirror in my room. I just kept throwing that left hook. It got there in the tenth round. Return.
Lopez has held the IBF featherweight title since defeating Josh Warrington in December 2022
“I want to fight any champion, whether it’s Rafael Espinoza, whether it’s Naoya Inoue, whoever it is.”
Also on the same card are Mexican Olympians Lindelof Delgado In tonight’s co-feature, (21-0, 15 KOs) defeated Brian Flores (26-1-1, 15 KOs) via a 10-round split decision.
Delgado fought in rhythm, knocking Flores down with a counter right hand in the third round. But Flores started to land rights of his own and had Delgado cornered in the middle rounds.
After Flores was deducted for hitting below the belt in the seventh round, Delgado stepped up his attack in the eighth in an attempt to halt Flores’ momentum. In the remaining two rounds, the two men traded left hooks and right short punches at close range.
One judge scored the fight 96-92 for Flores, while Delgado won by scores of 96-92 and 95-93.
“Winning is not easy, but I enjoy it,” Delgado said. “We had to stay focused every moment to win the game. He came with a strong desire to win and, on top of that, he punched hard. But we got the win in the end. I hope to have the chance. Get the world championship next.
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