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SportsTranscript
00:00 [ Indistinct shouting ]
00:02 -Let's go over there!
00:04 -Good evening.
00:05 I'm gonna start this. Okay.
00:06 Your truck's all okay here,
00:07 and your truck's all okay there.
00:09 I'm asking you guys a few questions.
00:10 So, let's start you off.
00:11 You guys are the pluckers.
00:12 Get to work.
00:13 -Najee Lopez and Kai Wheeler,
00:17 both of the Valley brothers,
00:19 helping to represent in the corner of Najee Lopez
00:24 with the flag as the official introductions took part.
00:28 Here we go! It's time to fight.
00:31 Red trunks for 24-year-old Najee Lopez,
00:35 white with the green trim for Kainel Wheeler.
00:40 Wheeler just turned 30 years old on October 4th.
00:45 First eight-rounder for Najee Lopez.
00:51 -Right away, Wheeler standing very square
00:54 in front of Najee.
00:56 Not a great idea.
00:58 He's been hit with a couple stabs to the body.
01:01 -Lopez does have that early explosive power,
01:04 so Wheeler needs to be a little bit tentative,
01:07 using that jab intelligently at least.
01:09 -And Najee looks big, tall, long.
01:12 Got a good, light, heavyweight body.
01:16 Oh! Big right hand.
01:18 -Just like that, they're gonna say,
01:20 was a sled off right from the actual wheel
01:23 or land at the right hand?
01:26 -Waved off by the referee.
01:30 I will tell you that Kaine Wheeler said,
01:32 "Tune in and don't blink."
01:34 Maybe that's what he was talking about, Chris.
01:36 -I mean, he is a puncher.
01:37 He's got six KOs and seven wins.
01:38 -Yes.
01:40 -Najee doing a nice job of cutting off the ring,
01:42 sidestepping, not following his man.
01:44 -And all six of those finishes
01:46 have come in the very first round.
01:49 -So we got two guys still in the shot.
01:51 -Another shot by Wheeler.
01:52 -Oh, a sharp catch and shoot as Najee Lopez
01:54 was digging deep and hard to the body, fellas.
01:58 But Wheeler comes right back.
02:00 -Wheeler wasn't kidding. He is dangerous early.
02:04 -We got a gunfight here, man.
02:06 -Man. -Wow! Big machine gun!
02:08 -He buckles up.
02:10 Wheeler to the body.
02:12 -And Wheeler staying very, very calm.
02:16 He really believes in that right hand.
02:21 -Yeah, Noel Lopez felt that shot. He got hurt.
02:24 -Wheeler said, "I'm capable. I'm gifted as well."
02:32 And we are seeing it here in round one.
02:34 -Lopez cut under the left eye.
02:36 -Wheeler staying really, really calm.
02:38 Also, he has his poker face on, like,
02:40 as if nothing's going on, like he's in an IBM meeting.
02:42 [ Laughter ]
02:44 -And he got hit with some big shots early to the body as well.
02:46 And like you said, his poker face is there.
02:49 -Yeah, you know, you got to credit Wheeler
02:51 for weathering that storm and staying calm enough
02:53 to then start punching in between Lopez.
02:55 It's not just like he just weathered it
02:57 and didn't do anything.
02:59 He started punching in between Lopez,
03:01 this high-octane attack that Lopez has,
03:03 and ended up getting his respect there.
03:05 -I can't help but think about that formerly injured jaw
03:08 of Naji Lopez, if that's affecting him at all tonight.
03:12 -This is in August of last year.
03:16 -Actually, kind of an odd way
03:20 in which the crack in the jaw occurred.
03:23 He had a wisdom tooth that was starting to be exposed,
03:27 and that did the damage in a combination
03:30 at the bell by Naji.
03:32 [ Crowd shouting ]
03:36 [ Indistinct conversations ]
03:39 [ Crowd shouting ]
03:50 [ Whistle blows ]
04:04 [ Crowd shouting ]
04:07 -Kai Wheeler came to fight.
04:09 First Naji to the body.
04:11 -Yeah, some of the work here from...
04:13 -Punched right back. -Wheeler in the first round.
04:15 -Yeah, that was a nice catch and shoot there.
04:17 Yeah, that was a little bit of a delay on the shoot, though.
04:19 Nice comeback with a body shot uppercut,
04:22 and then he started getting aggressive there,
04:25 but back and forth, good shot there.
04:28 -Needed a good shot there.
04:30 -Paul, you spoke in previous fights
04:32 and in between, guys, this is exactly what Wheeler was doing.
04:35 Catching Naji with shots he wasn't seeing.
04:37 -Round number two, Lopez in the red.
04:40 Wheeler, who said, "Tune in and don't blink,"
04:44 in the white and green.
04:47 -Yeah, when Wheeler came out, I said,
04:49 "He's got, like, an old-school look to him."
04:51 In a way, he's fighting, he's almost like a Tommy Hearns-type guy.
04:54 He's got that crack in the right hand.
04:57 -Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
05:01 -Makes me think of Easton assassin Larry Holmes,
05:04 one of the best jabbers ever. -You got that right.
05:07 -Speaking of jabs, beautiful jabs there from Naji Lopez
05:15 as he starts to stalk Wheeler down.
05:18 Ooh. -Hey, Wheeler's tricky, though, man.
05:20 Yeah, even that straight right hand comes out real smoothly,
05:24 no hitch, nothing.
05:25 Now Lopez with some speed combinations there.
05:28 -He's gonna be tactical, and these are two good fighters we got here.
05:31 -Oh, yeah, absolutely.
05:32 -And the last time we saw Naji,
05:35 he was only in the ring for 38 seconds
05:37 against Christopher Brooker.
05:40 Naji wanted more work.
05:41 He's gonna get some work tonight from Kai Wheeler.
05:45 Lopez loading up now in the corner.
05:49 -Ooh. -Nice double-attack there
05:51 by Lopez, fine in the opening.
05:54 -Nice job changing up that second that took to the head.
05:56 Cut it a little short on the inside.
05:59 -Kai Wheeler was a pleasure to talk to.
06:05 Shot kind of right-handed, but in our fighter interviews,
06:09 and I talked about Naji and all the hype behind him.
06:13 I said, "It'd be a big win."
06:14 Kai said, "It would be a big win for either of us,
06:17 whoever comes out with their arm raised."
06:19 And now I'm starting to see what Kai Wheeler was talking about.
06:21 -Yeah, that's a guy who's got the mindset
06:23 that he's coming here to win. -Yes.
06:24 Talk about a deceptive record, 7 and 3.
06:27 -Exactly. -He's got some fight.
06:28 -Now he got beat, but he didn't believe he did.
06:32 -Take him off! -Lopez right hand.
06:34 Now he's gotten the attention of Wheeler
06:36 as he backs up to the ropes, guys.
06:38 -You know, that consistent body work from Naji Lopez,
06:43 even in round number one,
06:44 could play dividends later on in this fight,
06:47 if we get there.
06:51 -Naji looking sharp on the inside here.
06:54 He's starting to figure out the deceptiveness of Wheeler.
06:58 Ooh, good body shot from Wheeler.
07:00 -Wheeler patient and then trying to answer
07:03 with some fire of his own.
07:05 -Naji smothering him nicely. -Oh, look at him!
07:08 -Huge uppercut. -Big right hand to boot.
07:10 -Oh! -Another one!
07:12 -Lopez coming on strong. -Oh!
07:14 Big shot from Wheeler on the inside.
07:16 Counter left hook.
07:17 -And Wheeler's legs are not sturdy underneath him.
07:20 -Ten seconds.
07:21 -Oh, man, gentlemen, we got a fight.
07:23 Look at that uppercut.
07:25 -Wheeler's not seeing that uppercut.
07:29 -Oh!
07:30 [ Cheers and applause ]
07:32 -Come on.
07:33 [ Indistinct shouting ]
07:35 [ Cheers and applause ]
07:37 [ Indistinct shouting ]
07:39 [ Indistinct shouting ]
07:41 [ Indistinct shouting ]
07:43 ♪♪
07:51 ♪♪
07:59 ♪♪
08:07 -I feel like that whole round was an instant replay
08:10 of how many great action-packed moments we had.
08:13 -You see Wheeler with the initial counter right hand,
08:15 then later in the round, Lopez with the counter right hand,
08:17 backs Wheeler up to the ropes, and then the uppercut.
08:20 Now, once Lopez found this uppercut,
08:22 he landed two or three times afterwards.
08:24 All in the last 30 seconds of the round.
08:26 And Wheeler finished the round on unshaky legs.
08:29 Let's see if Lopez can continue the momentum
08:32 into round three, or if Wheeler can change the momentum
08:36 once again to his favor like he had in round one.
08:38 -I feel like Naji realized that Wheeler's very dangerous
08:41 on the outside with those snappy, long punches,
08:43 but on the inside, with the bigger body that Naji has,
08:46 he had advantages on the inside
08:48 that he was utilizing to get some big shots in.
08:52 -Yeah, and also, Wheeler's not seen that uppercut
08:54 on the inside.
08:55 -Oh, another big right hand.
08:57 Oh, man, these guys are throwing bombs.
08:59 -Big time. Doubling up is Wheeler.
09:02 Mike Goldberg, "The Magic Man," Paulie Molinaggi,
09:05 Chris Algieri, "Pro Box TV" on a Wednesday night.
09:09 Naji Lopez, Kai Wheeler,
09:12 scheduled for 8 at night heavyweight.
09:15 -Pro Box TV, where everybody shows up to win.
09:17 -You got that right.
09:18 -I was gonna say, if you're not tuned in
09:20 on Wednesday nights to "Pro Box TV," what are you doing?
09:22 Look at these fights.
09:24 -And by the way, Wheeler said it was a robbery
09:28 when Ronald Gabriel got the majority decision
09:32 back in February at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
09:37 -Oh, Ronald Gabriel is a governor.
09:39 -A real fighter.
09:40 -Very, very good.
09:41 -Gabriel gave Benavidez hell.
09:42 -Yep, they fought twice.
09:43 I think they went 24 rounds.
09:45 -Oh, counter body shot, roll body shot.
09:47 But a brown majority decision win.
09:50 -Wow. -All right, let him go, Colin.
09:51 -He's been in with some experience.
09:52 -He has, indeed.
09:54 That was with West Side Promotions out there.
09:56 -No A-sides here on "Pro Box TV."
09:59 -The A and the other A.
10:00 -As usual.
10:01 -As usual.
10:03 -See, this is where Naji had so much success last round.
10:07 He's able to physically body Wheeler on the inside.
10:09 And like you said, Chance, that uppercut,
10:11 he's just not seeing it.
10:12 -He's not seeing the uppercut.
10:16 -Quick punch lands for Lopez.
10:21 -We're getting to the point now where this fight's
10:22 gonna come down to conditioning, heart, and will.
10:28 -And I have a feeling both men have a ton of it.
10:31 -Man, both men know they can hurt each other.
10:33 -First time scheduled for eight for Naji Lopez.
10:39 -That's a nice feeling.
10:42 You know, you mentioned that Wheeler,
10:43 with this time, he hurts like a friend.
10:44 You got a feeling his right hand is gonna be dangerous
10:46 from the outside.
10:47 He's landed a couple times already.
10:48 -Good hook there by Lopez.
10:50 Almost feel like Lopez is better suited
10:53 at a little bit closer range.
10:54 -Yep. -Backing Wheeler.
10:56 What if he can back Wheeler up?
10:57 When Wheeler's not getting backed up,
10:58 he's dangerous, man.
10:59 -Yeah, man.
11:00 He's just got that right-hand cock ready to go.
11:03 -He's here to have fun, put on a show,
11:06 come away with a big win.
11:08 Seven wins, six finishes.
11:10 -And here's the Lopez. -To the body again.
11:12 -Backing Wheeler up again.
11:13 This is where Lopez gains the advantage.
11:15 When he starts to back Wheeler up,
11:16 Wheeler goes in full defensive mode.
11:18 And then that uppercut again.
11:20 -Big advantage for Naji Lopez on the inside.
11:26 -Oh, big repeated shot.
11:28 That had his legs hurt.
11:29 -Yeah, right-hand to Bell again.
11:32 Again, that's a trick right here.
11:33 Wheeler doesn't fight well backing up,
11:34 but if you let Wheeler sit at center ring
11:37 off that jab,
11:38 you can set up some dangerous punches.
11:40 -He's got a great punch on his face.
11:43 Naji, you gotta be here.
11:47 He's setting you up on the ropes.
11:50 -He's got a great punch on his face.
11:52 He's setting you up on the ropes.
12:18 -Marshall Kaufman in the corner of Kainel Wheeler,
12:23 Mark Ferre,
12:26 in the corner of Naji Lopez.
12:28 -Oh!
12:29 -Naji said, "I'm excited to be back."
12:31 Both men putting on a show.
12:33 Lopez in the red trunks, white and green for Wheeler.
12:37 Round four scheduled for eight.
12:40 Naji said, "I've been rebuilding,
12:41 breaking it all down, putting it back together.
12:44 I am back, and I am way better than ever."
12:48 1-1-2.
12:52 -Just missed.
12:53 Wheeler saw that,
12:54 was able to turn his head off line.
12:56 -Yeah, caught him over the shoulder.
12:58 Nonetheless, again, Lopez trying to get that--
13:01 get Wheeler backing up,
13:02 'cause if you don't get Wheeler backing up,
13:04 he gets dangerous.
13:06 -Yeah, see, you're right.
13:07 Wheeler can see punches coming from the outside.
13:09 The inside, he just doesn't have a radar
13:11 for those uppercuts and hooks around the gloves.
13:13 -Wheeler said he introduced himself to Naji
13:17 before the weigh-in, said,
13:18 "Naji's got some good vibes we're gonna put on a show."
13:21 I think Ky was very accurate in that statement
13:25 they have put on a show thus far.
13:28 Good sportsman.
13:30 Lopez looking for his seventh career finish.
13:35 -I was saying how last round,
13:36 it was a shot that bothered the legs of Wheeler,
13:39 but they look like they got back
13:40 the way he's been moving.
13:42 -Naji loading up.
13:45 Body, Wheeler looking to answer.
13:49 Midway point around number four.
13:52 Naji trying to go one-three.
14:05 -High-level stuff here from both men.
14:07 -Yes.
14:08 -This is good stuff, man.
14:10 -That's why it was written on multiple occasions
14:15 that a lot of people were avoiding fights with Ky Wheeler
14:19 'cause they saw what he did
14:20 back in February at the Cop Palace.
14:23 -I don't think this fight's gonna come up
14:24 and he'll get another chance.
14:25 -He'll get a shot, right?
14:28 -Yes!
14:29 -Big round 10, knocks down Wheeler!
14:33 -Four, five, four,
14:39 five, six.
14:41 You good to go?
14:42 -Sam Lopez gotta be careful, man.
14:44 He missed that punch when Wheeler was coming down.
14:48 -It is over!
14:52 -Really?
14:53 -Naji Lopez with the win!
14:55 -No argument from Wheeler.
14:57 -I think Wheeler had said something to the ref
14:59 'cause that was strange.
15:00 Wheeler actually got up and jogged to the corner.
15:03 You don't see that very often.
15:05 One guy gets up from getting knocked down.
15:06 -But he might have jogged to the corner
15:07 because he had to hold his legs up on the ropes.
15:09 -Could be, but he looked up.
15:10 You're right, could have been that.
15:12 But it looks like he might have said something to the ref.
15:14 -We'll get a better look now, champ.
15:16 That started again.
15:20 I'll tell you, Lopez dangerously uppercut
15:22 against all opponents, but tonight especially.
15:24 Look, he's lucky that he landed that punch.
15:26 That was a--
15:27 Wheeler was clearly down there.
15:30 This is a good fight, man.
15:31 -Oh, man, what a fight.
15:32 And these are the kind of fights
15:33 that a Naji Lopez needs.
15:35 For him to get over something like this,
15:36 this is a huge, huge win.
15:38 -Dude, man, I'm telling you,
15:39 guys like Wheeler are such spoilers, though, man.
15:41 They'll knock you off.
15:42 -I'd love this to bring back Wheeler again here on Pro Box.
15:44 -Pro Box is made for guys like Wheeler, OK?
15:46 If your losses don't matter because you make good fights,
15:49 guys like Wheeler got to come back here, man,
15:51 because this guy can fight, dude.
15:53 -I don't know any more dangerous 7-4 fighters on the planet.
15:57 -Dude.
15:58 -And there's that vibe that Wheeler spoke of,
16:01 good sportsmanship, giving Naji credit for the win,
16:05 and they put on a show.
16:06 -That was high-IQ stuff.
16:08 Two guys with less than 10 pro fights each,
16:11 and Wheeler coming in with 10 fights.
16:13 Dude, that was high-IQ stuff.
16:14 I mean, that was levels of IQ
16:16 you don't even see in some championship fights.
16:19 -Together, they don't have 20 fights.
16:20 -Yeah.
16:21 -That's wild.
16:22 -That's wild.
16:23 That's insane.
16:24 Yeah, so it was very high IQ.
16:25 It was very competitive.
16:26 -And the thing is, you think high IQ sometimes
16:28 is a little boring, a little tactile.
16:29 This is high IQ, and they're throwing missiles, man.
16:32 I mean, they're firing hurtful shots.
16:35 What a -- This is -- This is, again, Pro Box TV, guys.
16:38 I mean, this is what we do.
16:39 -High IQ and higher aggression.
16:41 -Yep.
16:42 -Ladies and gentlemen.
16:46 -What a bunch of combinations put together.
16:49 Round number two.
16:52 Wheeler definitely got Naji's attention early, didn't he?
16:55 -I'm gonna go home and watch this fight again tonight.
16:57 -Ooh.
16:58 -That's how good that fight was.
16:59 -Yeah.
17:00 Yeah, we got so busy commentating it,
17:02 I don't know if we got it appreciated as good as it was.
17:04 This was some fight.
17:06 Lopez's uppercuts were a big difference maker in the fight.
17:09 -You know what it was, Chip?
17:10 It's when Lopez realized how much he got
17:13 was getting off on the inside.
17:15 He made that change.
17:16 Wheeler was very dangerous on the outside.
17:18 His defense was good on the outside, too.
17:19 Inside, though, like I said, no radar for those uppercuts
17:22 and hooks around the gloves.
17:24 -Outstanding performance and victory by Naji Lopez
17:29 to make it official.
17:31 Let's get it to Jim Sorensen.
17:34 -Ladies and gentlemen, referee Gene Del Bianco
17:38 stops this fight at 2 minutes, 19 seconds of round number four.
17:44 Your winner by technical knockout,
17:47 Naji "Chin Ho" Lopez!
17:53 [ Cheers and applause ]
17:56 -Naji Lopez watching that fight tonight
18:00 was facing the biggest challenge
18:02 of his young professional career,
18:04 and it was even bigger than he thought walking in.