Lopez favored to remain unbeaten

Dean Juipe

Friday, Oct. 1, 1999 | 9:28 a.m.

Ricardo Lopez lifts up his shirt and smiles.

He's thin, very thin. Yet he's pleased, as only a fighter who has spent his life at 105 pounds but is now fighting at 108 can be pleased.

The longtime strawweight champion has put on three pounds and will challenge International Boxing Federation junior flyweight champ Will Grigsby in Saturday's main event at the Las Vegas Hilton. It is Lopez's first fight at 108 after going unbeaten in 48 fights at 105.

"This will be my weight for the rest of my career," Lopez said Thursday through an interpreter. "I don't expect I can gain any more."

At 105 he was close to invincible, going 47-0-1 with 35 knockouts. In his debut at 108 he'll take on the 14-1-1 Grigsby, a relatively unheralded fighter in spite of his champion's status.

"He's quick," Lopez commented. "He's elusive. He runs. But I can fight to his style."

Lopez is a minus 360 betting favorite in the Hilton sports book. Grigsby is a plus 280 for the 12-round bout that will be televised (delayed in Las Vegas) by the Showtime cable network. A companion main event, Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Willie Wise, is also scheduled.

"I'm stronger at this weight," Lopez said. "I've trained well (in Mexico City) and I feel good. I'm a serious, professional person when it comes to boxing."

At 32 years old and coming off a pair of slugfests with Rosendo Alvarez, Lopez has not fought since last November yet he says the layoff is inconsequential.

"I don't think there's any danger in not having a tuneup fight," he said. "But I did think we were going to fight sooner."

Aside from his lengthy unbeaten streak as a professional, Lopez was 39-1 as an amateur and hasn't lost since he was 15 years old. Many expect him to handle the move to 108 with a minimum of problems.

"It's different, though," he said. "But I'm more comfortable. Making 105 had become hard to do."