Emmanuel Rodriguez vs Melvin Lopez Preview August 12th, 2023
Former IBF Bantamweight Champion Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico will try to lay his hands on the vacant IBF Title this Saturday, August 12th when he meets Melvin Lopez of Nicaragua. The 12-round battle takes Place in Oxon Hills, Maryland and can be seen live in America on Showtime. Lopez last boxed in November when he beat Jobert Alvarez by 10-round split decision while Rodriguez beat Gary Antonio Russell by a 10-round technical decision in October after Rodriguez couldn’t continue due to an accidental head butt. He and Russell originally met in August, 2021 when the fight was called a no-decision as Rodriguez suffered an accidental head butt after just 16 seconds of the first round and couldn’t continue.
Rodriguez vs Lopez Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Melvin Lopez +425
- Emmanuel Rodriguez -650
My Pick
The 30-year-old Rodriguez enters the contest with a mark of 21-2 with 13 Ko’s. His first defeat came at the hands of Naoya Inoue by second round stoppage in May, 2019 in the World Boxing Super Series when he lost his IBF Title. Rodriguez had won the vacant IBF Bantamweight Belt with a unanimous decision over Paul Butler in May, 2018 after Butler came in overweight and the title being up for grabs only for Rodriguez.
He defended the belt five months later with a split decision win over Jason Moloney before losing it to Inoue. He then lost his second straight fight when Reymart Gaballo beat him by split decision for the interim WBC Bantamweight belt. Since turning pro, Rodriguez has also captured various regional titles such as the WBO Latino, WBA Fedelatin and WBC Latino Bantamweight Championships. He enjoyed a fine amateur career with a solid record of 171-11 and won a gold medal at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Rodriguez has boxed 127 rounds since turning pro in 2012 and the native of Manati has decent power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 54.2 per cent. He’s posted just one stoppage win in his last seven fights however. Rodriguez stands 5-feet-6-inches tall and has a wingspan of 66.5 inches. He also has victories over the likes of Luis Hinojosa, Alex Rangel, Miguel Cartagena, Elicier Aqueno, Alberto Guevara and Giovanni Delgado.
The 25-year-old Lopez, who fights out of Miami, Florida, climbs into the ring with a record of 29-1 with 19 Ko’s and has boxed 133 rounds since making his pro debut in 2015 as a teenager. He measures 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 68-inch reach which means he’s the same height as Rodriguez but has a slight 1.5-inch edge in reach. Lopez’s lone pro defeat came by way of a ninth-round TKO at the hands of Jose Velasquez in October, 2019 in a shot at the vacant WBO International Bantamweight title.
Since turning pro, Lopez has captured the vacant WBO Latino Super Flyweight and vacant WBC Youth Bantamweight Titles as well as the vacant NABA Bantamweight Belt. He hasn’t fought the same level of opponents that Rodriguez has as Lopez’s biggest wins have been against boxers such as Hugo Hernandez, Andres Guzman, Yonathan Padilla, Jose Cardenas, Jesus Martinez, David Reyes Cota and Daniel Lozano. Lopez owns pretty good power with a current knockout ratio of 63.3 per cent and has stopped seven of his last eight opponents.
Prediction…
Rodriguez is a former world champion with decent power and good skills and experience. Lopez possesses more power but hasn’t fought at the same level as Rodriguez. He has a legitimate shot at the title here though due to that power but I’m expecting Rodriguez’s experience and skills to pull him through as he regains the belt he once owned.
Rodriguez’s experience and skills may be too much for Lopez.
Play: Rodriguez -650 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Emmanuel Rodriguez betting • Melvin Lopez betting