Former junior featherweight titleholder Angelo Leo’s comeback tour has reached a climax, and another championship-clinching opportunity will be presented Saturday night when he challenges IBF featherweight beltholder Luis Alberto Lopez.
The main event fight will take place in Leo’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Tingley Coliseum on ESPN.
“It's definitely a dream come true and a blessing. I can't lose in my hometown. That's something I won't do,” Leo told BoxingScene.
Leo (24-1, 11 KOs) has not fought in New Mexico since 2015, but he’s just glad to be fighting again.
"El Chinito" made a name for himself in 2020 when he beat Tramaine Williams for the vacant WBO 122-pound title but lost it the next time out against Stephen Fulton. At the time, he was signed to Mayweather Promotions.
Leo, 30, bounced back after his first professional loss six months later in June 2021 to beat Aaron Alameda, but he couldn't get back into the ring for two and a half years. Struggling to get fights, Leo signed with ProBox and landed three fights in a five month stretch from November to April, beating the likes of Nicolas Polanco, Mike Plania, and most recently, former title challenger Eduardo Baez.
“I had a hiccup in my career with activity after the Alameda fight, but I got my career back on track when I signed with ProBox and made up for lost time,” said Leo. “I learned a lot from not fighting, but now I am back to it.
“Looking back at the Fulton fight, I was not as mature as I should have been. But that's boxing, you live and you learn, and I learned from those mistakes. I have a lot more tools in my arsenal now.”
Leo’s new-found confidence will be needed to show a solid account of himself against Lopez (30-2, 17 KOs). “Venado” Lopez, a 30-year-old, nine-year pro from Mexico, was steamrolling through the competition while Leo was stuck on the sidelines, beating Josh Warrington for the title he now owns and defending it against Michael Conlan, Joet Gonzalez and Reiya Abe.
“He's the 126-pound champion who has been buzzing the most,” said Leo.
“Lopez does a lot of things well and a lot of people don't give him credit for his style. He's got good power and that's something that negates his awkward and unconvential style. We're looking to exploit that ... He's definitely hittable and has a lot of defensive flaws.
“I'm hittable as well though. But a true champion can adjust to anything. I want to show that pedigree. I can slug it out, box, move – I am ready for all of that.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.