Premiere Night For L.A. BATTLE CLUB

Southland fighter Damien Lopez made his professional debut at the inaugural “L.A. BATTLE CLUB” in the City of El Monte this past Saturday night. The premiere event (promoted by PR Sports in association with Bash Boxing) was held at the L.A. Badminton Club. The popular badminton court transformed into an airy and spacious boxing arena for this June 11 event in which nine bouts of action were showcased.

Damien was featured on the undercard of the headlining Joel Diaz Jr. vs. Joaquim Corneiro matchup with Rico Ramos vs. Justin Savi in the co-main. It was an exciting night for Team Lopez as they watched the 20-year-old enter the pro ranks. The welterweight (now 1-0, 1 KO) squared off against the durable Jose Mejia (1-6, 1 KO) in a scheduled four rounder. Ditching the amateur headgear and donning smaller gloves, the new pro went to work at the bell. The young lion went on attack with a barrage of punches that scored a knockdown of Santa Paula’s Mejia in the very first frame. With a huge crowd cheering him on, Damien continued to throw punches as the second stanza began. Midway through the round, Mejia’s corner instructed the commission to halt the bout as referee Rudy Barragan stopped the contest at the 1:48 mark of Round 2.

Lopez’s contingent of friends, family and supporters in the stands went wild as their favorite boxer scored the knockout victory. Sporting Team Lopez T-shirts, they congratulated the baby-faced slugger on joining the pros.

This journey has been 10 years in the making for the SoCal native. At 10 years of age, Damien began boxing with his father and trainer David Lopez Sr. Damien’s older brother, David Lopez Jr., was also an amateur fighter. Damien participated in both football and boxing while attending Burbank High School; as the years progressed, it was the sweet science that won out. And over a decade ago, Lopez first laced up at the Burbank Boxing Club (BBC) and as an amateur traveled to various tournaments (with Lopez Sr. and BBC founder/trainer Steve Harpst) to shows in Canada, Arizona, etc. With 49 amateur bouts logged in his USA Boxing passbook, Damien won the 2014 National PAL championship and also fought in the 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier tournaments in Spokane, Colorado Springs and Memphis.

After his pro win, the Mexican warrior told me he loved being in the ring; he trained hard and was ready to go. Wearing lighter gloves, he acclimated quickly to his new status as a professional prizefighter. His corner included chief second David Lopez, second Steve Harpst, cutman Cliff Rayman and cornerman Sean Ford. And in the audience were many members of the Burbank Boxing Club, who came out to show support. Coach Steve Harpst mentioned that 80 tickets were sold in support of Damien with about 65 of those tickets snatched up by Harpst’s Burbank Boxing Club and various sponsors affiliated with Harpst. And the community of Burbank really made their voices heard as their roars echoed in the dome. The San Fernando Valley native began his pro career with a bang and the ticket holders couldn’t be more thrilled with this knockout win.

There were also a couple of special guests that joined Team Lopez Saturday night. Harpst acknowledged former fighter and current singer/entertainer Larry Covin (R & L Promotions) and popular comic book artist Cory Walker (“Invincible”) who represented Saturday night. Team Lopez said it was one exciting night and they want to thank everyone for all their enthusiasm. Harpst also gave thanks and congrats to promoters Peter Rasmussen and Steve Bash on their first-ever “L.A. BATTLE CLUB” show at the L.A.B.C.

The weekend show was very well attended–a spirited night with several famous faces ringside including James Toney, Chris Byrd, Vic Darchinyan, Zachary Wohlman, Sindy Amador, Alex Flores, Angel Silva, trainers Robert Garcia, Buddy McGirt, Ben Lira and more. Ring announcer Jim FitzGerald introduced the VIPs to the spectators and also held a moving “10 Count” for Muhammad Ali and a “Moment of Silence” for cutman Joe Chavez.

This new venue in the San Gabriel Valley worked out well for live fights. The building is large with a local eatery (Ray Ray Restaurant) adjacent to the boxing ring. PR Sports and Bash Boxing are already planning a September return of their new “L.A. BATTLE CLUB” so stay tuned for more info.

And with his first pro win in the books, Damien is looking forward to staying busy in the ring. But the young pug also took a little time out to celebrate. Two days after his debut, Lopez ushered in his 21st birthday at the Burbank Boxing Club on Monday, June 13. It was truly a “double celebration” for the athlete–check out my exclusive shots of the Burbank welterweight.

Welcome to the pros, Damien Lopez!

Photos by Michele Chong