Lopez Defeats Sequenan by TKO After Boxers Butt Heads Early

It was another Olympic Auditorium barroom brawl Saturday night, full of sneaky elbow shots, head butts and low blows.

After two of the undercard fights were stopped because of deep cuts, Hector Lopez won the main event against Rod Sequenan by technical knockout after the fifth round before about 800.

Lopez (26-3-1, 13 knockouts) got the victory when referee Chuck Hassett stopped the fight because of a heavy gash over Sequenan’s right forehead.

Sequenan (56-23) received the cut when the two junior-welterweights butted heads early in the second round, and blood poured down the right side of his face for the rest of the fight.

“When I saw him get cut, it was the instinct of a fighter to go after him, finish him off,” Lopez said. “But then I got cut, too, so I kind of regret it.”

After Lopez stepped up his attack, the left-handed Sequenan fought off several hard hooks and landed some heavy blows as the two fighters swung wildly from close range.

By the end of the round, Lopez said he had been cut, and his own face was bloody.

Lopez dominated the next three rounds by staying outside and targeting the slower Sequenan with precision shots to the head and, eventually, to the body.

“It was unfortunate that it was stopped the way it was, but I was going to stop him, anyway,” Lopez said.

In a four-round fight, junior-welterweight Pepe Reilley (6-1) was cut but won a unanimous decision over Randy Archuleta (6-9).