The victory moved Lopez to 16-0 (13 KOs) and earned him the WBA Continental Americas and WBO Latino light heavyweight titles.
Gallegos (22-4-1, 19 KOs) forced the type of fight he wanted early. The pressure fighter from Los Mochis kept Lopez working in tight exchanges, pushing forward and throwing heavy hooks and body shots in rounds that rarely slowed down.
The fight reached its most dramatic moment in round seven when Gallegos dropped Lopez during a furious exchange. Instead of unraveling, Lopez gathered himself quickly and began firing back with heavier shots as the action spilled into another violent round.
By the eighth, Gallegos was still coming forward but absorbing more punishment than earlier in the fight. Lopez eventually trapped him in the corner and unleashed a barrage that forced the referee to intervene.
“That just shows you I’m a true champion and I’m here to stay,” Lopez said afterward. “I’m willing to prove it every time I step in the ring. He was the best version of himself possible. I fought a true champion tonight.”
Lopez also acknowledged the pressure Gallegos brought.
“That’s a tough mf right there,” Lopez said. “Soon as I had him on the hook, I wasn’t going to let him off. That was 100% of a test, and I feel like I passed it.”
Valle wins disputed decision
In the 10-round super featherweight co-feature, Dominic Valle (13-0, 7 KOs) earned a controversial unanimous decision over veteran Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (29-6-3, 14 KOs).
Ramirez controlled much of the early action, crowding Valle and forcing the younger fighter to fight off the back foot. The Mexican veteran staggered Valle in round five with a hook before Valle rallied later in the round with an uppercut that shook Ramirez.
Valle’s right eye began closing as the fight moved into the middle rounds, but he continued throwing to the body and found success in rounds seven and eight. Ramirez finished the final round aggressively with combinations to the head and body.
Judges scored the fight 96-94 and 98-92 twice for Valle.
Benjamin remains unbeaten
Light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (14-0-1, 9 KOs) continued his unbeaten run with an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Lozano (8-1, 6 KOs).
The fight was competitive through the opening rounds before Benjamin began asserting control in the fourth with long jabs and straight right hands. Lozano had success in the sixth round behind his jab but could not maintain the pace during the closing rounds.
Benjamin finished strongly and won by scores of 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.
McKinley pulls upset
Heavy puncher Delvin McKinley (14-5-1, 13 KOs) earned a majority decision over Italy’s Christian Chessa (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round fight between two knockout punchers.
McKinley hurt Chessa in round two with an uppercut that caused swelling under the Italian’s left eye. Chessa tried to box and move during the middle rounds, landing counters and body shots, but McKinley’s pressure and power punching carried the closing rounds.
The judges returned scores of 57-57 and 58-56 twice for McKinley.
Valle opens broadcast with decision
Kenyan Valle (3-0, 1 KO) opened the televised portion of the card with a six-round unanimous decision over Anel Dudo (4-7-1, 1 KO).
Valle began landing combinations after a cautious opening round and gradually took control of the exchanges. Dudo had success with pressure and an uppercut that briefly troubled Valle, but the younger fighter’s accuracy carried the fight.
All three judges scored the bout for Valle by tallies of 59-55, 59-55, and 60-54.
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