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BOXING ROUNDUP : Chavez Batters Lopez, Records Victory No. 93

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From Associated Press

Julio Cesar Chavez methodically pounded challenger Tony Lopez to retain his World Boxing Council super-lightweight championship Saturday night at Monterrey, Mexico, when the referee stopped the fight in the 10th round.

Dr. Romeo Garcia Benavides halted the fight at 1:41 of the round because the challenger from Sacramento was bleeding over both eyes.

It was Chavez’s 93rd victory against only one loss and one draw. The national sporting hero from Culiacan, Mexico, is in a farewell tour of fights, planning to reach 100 victories late next year before retiring.

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Lopez (45-5-1) never went down, although he was staggered several times.

In earlier title fights, Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad got off the canvas in the first round and went on to stop Oba Carr in the eighth and retain his International Boxing Federation crown, WBA junior-welterweight champion Frankie Randall stopped Rodney Moore in the seventh round, Jorge Castro of Argentina scored a stunning ninth-round knockout over John David Jackson of Los Angeles, and WBA strawweight champion Ricardo Lopez knocked out Yamil Caraballo of Colombia in the first round.

Randall (51-3-1) is gunning for a third fight against Chavez. He is the only man to beat Chavez, and in their rematch in May, Chavez won only on a disputed ruling in a split decision.

Castro (96-4-2) was on the verge of defeat when he knocked out Jackson (32-1). When Jackson had Castros against the ropes, seemingly helpless and bloody, his wild swings left him open and Castro lurched with a left that connected.

In an earlier bout, promising heavyweight King Ipitan of Benin, Nigeria, suffered a broken ankle after he was knocked out by Bobby Crabtree of Ft. Smith, Ark., in the first round. Ipitan was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

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At Portland, Maine, Olzubek (Gussie) Nazarov knocked out Joey Gamache at 2:50 of the second round to retain his WBA lightweight title. Nazarov improved to 20-0, while Gamache, from nearby Lewiston, fell to 36-2.

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