The Mexican master broke down Puerto Rico’s champion in five rounds during the first-ever minimumweight unification fight at Madison Square Garden
Ricardo “Finito” López produced one of the defining performances of his Hall of Fame career on August 23, 1997, stopping Alex Sánchez in five rounds at Madison Square Garden to become the first unified minimumweight champion in boxing history. The victory strengthened López’s legacy and added another memorable chapter to boxing’s long-running Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry.
Although the lighter weight classes rarely received major attention in the United States during that era, the bout carried historic significance. It was the first minimumweight title unification fight and the first world championship contest in the 105-pound division to be staged at Madison Square Garden.
López entered as the undefeated WBC champion and one of boxing’s finest technicians. Making his 20th world title appearance, the Mexican star had built his reign through precision punching, flawless balance and exceptional defensive skills. Across the ring stood Sánchez, the WBO champion with a 25-1 record. The Puerto Rican was an accomplished champion in his own right but faced the toughest assignment of his career against a fighter many already viewed as nearly unbeatable.
From the opening bell, López demonstrated why. Rather than chasing Sánchez around the ring, he patiently waited for mistakes and punished nearly every one of them. His high guard, impeccable timing, and economical footwork neutralized Sánchez’s offense almost immediately.
Sánchez briefly found success with a hook to the body in the second round, but López answered with two right hands that dropped the Puerto Rican champion for the first knockdown of the fight. Although Sánchez beat the count, López controlled the remainder of the round.
From there, López took command. He repeatedly slipped Sánchez’s attacks by inches before firing pinpoint counters down the middle. A right uppercut badly shook Sánchez in the third round, while a left hook staggered him again in the fourth. Growing increasingly frustrated, Sánchez abandoned his disciplined approach and began loading up on wide punches in search of a knockout.
That frustration eventually boiled over when Sánchez repeatedly forced López’s head downward during exchanges, drawing a point deduction from referee Arthur Mercante Jr.
Early in the fifth round, López trapped Sánchez along the ropes and unleashed one of the finest combinations of his career. A crushing left hook highlighted the barrage, sending Sánchez to the canvas for the second time. Although he climbed to his feet, he was badly hurt and unable to defend himself, prompting Mercante to stop the fight at 1:58 of the round and award López a technical knockout victory.
The performance reinforced López’s standing as one of the greatest minimumweight champions in boxing history. Against Sánchez, he combined elite footwork, defensive awareness, timing and textbook punching technique in a performance that showcased every aspect of his skill set.
Ironically, the unification proved short-lived. Shortly after the victory, López reportedly told Mexican media that he wanted to give the newly won WBO championship belt to his father as a personal gift. The WBO interpreted those comments as a resignation from the title and stripped him without conducting a formal hearing. The organization declared the belt vacant and ordered Eric Jamili and Mickey Cantwell to fight for the championship, a decision López’s camp criticized for lacking due process.
The setback did little to alter López’s career. He continued defending the WBC title, later added the WBA championship following his rivalry with Rosendo Álvarez, moved up to light flyweight to capture the IBF title, and retired in 2001 with a remarkable 51-0-1 record.
For Sánchez, the defeat effectively ended his run among the division’s elite. Although he continued boxing, he never again fought for a world championship.
Nearly three decades later, López’s victory over Sánchez remains one of the defining performances in minimumweight history. It established boxing’s first unified 105-pound champion and stands as one of the signature victories of López’s undefeated Hall of Fame career.
