By Francisco Salazar

(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) - Featherweight Abraham Lopez is demonstrating power in his recent bouts. Thursday night was not exception.

Lopez battered Jorge Diaz throughout nine bouts, eventually getting the stoppage win before a sold-out crowd at the Belasco Theatre.

This was the third bout for Lopez in a four and a half month span. Lopez spent three years away from the ring, during which he completed his education and began working as a respiratory therapist.

Diaz, who had won once in four bouts entering his bout against Lopez, came to fight, but was hit repeatedly by hooks and hard crosses by Lopez.

As the bout progressed, Diaz began taking a beating. Sensing this, Lopez came on aggressively in the eighth and ninth rounds. Diaz's punch output decreased and he fought more defensively, throwing only when Lopez initiated exchanged.

After the ninth round, Diaz's corner told referee Jack Reiss that Diaz was not able to continue.

Lopez improves to 19-0-1, 14 KOs, while Diaz drops to 18-4-1, 10 KOs

Junior featherweight Roy Tapia stopped Juan Luis Hernandez in the third round.

Tapia (11-0-2, 6 KOs) was the aggressor throughout the bout, putting Hernandez on the defensive. Tapia mostly threw and connected with hard left hooks and crosses.

Tapia dropped Hernandez (18-6-1, 9 KOs) with a right hand to the head in the second round. Midway through the third round, Tapia unloaded a lead left hook to the head, dropping Hernandez to the canvas. Referee Zac Young counted him out at 1:49.

Junior welterweight Hector Tanajara demolished Thomas De Leon, stopping him in the first round. Tanajara, who was making his pro debut and is trained by Robert Garcia, dropped De Leon (0-3) with a barrage of punches. De Leon stood up, but was dropped by a straight right to the head. De Leon remained crouched on the canvas while referee  Jack Reiss counted him out at 1:14.

Junior welterweight Jonathan Navarro was successful in his pro debut, stopping Andrew Gomez in the first round. Navarro, who is trained by Robert Garcia, dropped Gomez (0-2) twice before referee Zac Young stopped the bout at 1:03.

- Junior lightweight Francisco Ochoa (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Marquis Pierce in the second round. After Pierce (1-7) was dropped with a combination, referee Jack Reiss stopped the bout at 30 seconds.

- Junior featherweight Pablo Rubio (2-0, 2 KOs) stopped Martin Regalado, who was making his pro debut, at 33 seconds of the fourth round.

- Bantamweight Joshua Franco, who was making his pro debut, won by split decision over four rounds against Temoatzin Landeros. One judge scored the bout 40-36 for Landeros (0-2), while the other two judges scored the bout 39-37 and 40-36 for Franco, who is trained by Robert Garcia.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for krikya360.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing