Ernie Lopez boxer
- bouts
- 62
- won
- 49
- lost
- 12
- draw
- 1
- Status
- inactive
- Division
- welterweight
- Debut
- 1963-06-24
- Height
- 5′ 8″/173cm
- Reach
- -
- Age
- 64
- Born
- 1945-09-23
- Death
- 2009-10-03
- Nationality
- USA
Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez (September 24, 1945 – October 3, 2009), was an American professional boxer. He twice fought for the world welterweight boxing title, losing title bouts to José Nápoles in 1970 and 1973. He was a missing person from 1992 to 2004 and was the subject of extensive press coverage in early 2004 when, after being selected for induction into the California Boxing Hall of Fame, he was found at a homeless shelter in Fort Worth, Texas.Lopez was born on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in Fort Duchesne, Utah. His mother was a Ute Indian, and his father was a Juaneño.Lopez attended Orem High School in Orem, Utah, where he chose boxing over football. He married as a teenager and moved to Pasadena, California, where he boxed out of the Pasadena YMCA. He later recalled that he learned to box from his father and added, "But sometimes I learned when I watched my father hit my mother."Lopez became a popular boxer in Los Angeles during the late 1960s and early 1970s, fighting out of the Los Angeles Main Street Gym for much of his career. His brother, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, also went into boxing and became the world featherweight champion. Both of the Lopez brothers were managed by Howie Steindler.Lopez was given the nickname "Indian Red" because of his flaming red hair and Native American heritage. In 1968, when Lopez became the first Native American boxer to be ranked as the No. 1 contender in any weight class, Pulitzer Prize winning sports writer Jim Murray wrote:I don't know how he is as a prize fighter, but Ernie (Indian Red) Lopez certainly is disappointing as an Indian. I mean, he doesn't look like something John Wayne would chase down the street shouting something about 'damned redskin.' 'Damned redhead,' maybe. But, Lordy, the skin is even freckled! Now, whoever heard of a red-headed, freckle-skinned Indian? ... 'What was your Indian name?' I asked Indian Red? 'Ernie,' he told me.Lopez had a career record of 51-10-1, and fought bouts in England, Hawaii, Japan and Mexico. In 1967, Lopez wore an Indian chief's headdress into the ring in a match against Musahi Nakano in Japan. Lopez said, "I bought the thing at Disneyland to take over with me. ... I liked it so much I was going to keep it. But it turned out they have this custom in Japan where the fighters exchange gifts before the fight. Nakano gave me a samurai warrior's jacket and I gave him the headpiece."
Date | Opponent | Last Opponents' Results | Place | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987-07-07 | Kenny Louis | WWWLWW | Omni New Daisy Theater, Memphis | LOST KO |
1974-10-29 | John H Stracey | WLWWWW | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington | LOST Technical knockout |
1973-07-26 | Armando Muniz | LWLWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | LOST Corner retirement |
1973-02-28 | Jose Napoles | WWWWWW | Forum, Inglewood | LOST KO |
1972-11-10 | Jose Luis Baltazar | WLLWLL | Sports Arena, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1972-10-12 | Manuel Gonzalez | LLLLWW | Sahara Tahoe Hotel, Stateline | WIN Corner retirement |
1972-03-30 | Emile Griffith | WWLWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | LOST Unanimous decision |
1972-01-20 | Sal Martinez | WWLWLL | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1971-10-28 | Oscar Albarado | LWDWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Unanimous decision |
1971-09-16 | Manuel Fierro | WWLWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Unanimous decision |
1971-07-08 | Danny Perez | LLLLLL | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1971-05-03 | Emile Griffith | WWWWWW | Nevada Sports Palace, Las Vegas | LOST Majority decision |
1971-01-20 | Peter Cobblah | WWLLWW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Majority decision |
1970-10-10 | Cipriano Hernandez | WWLLLW | Valley Music Theatre, Woodland Hills | WIN Unanimous decision |
1970-08-03 | Ruben Rivera | DWLWWL | Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento | WIN Technical knockout |
1970-07-08 | Manuel Avitia | WLWWWW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Technical knockout |
1970-02-14 | Jose Napoles | WWWWWW | Forum, Inglewood | LOST Technical knockout |
1969-10-04 | Hedgemon Lewis | WWWWWW | Sports Arena, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1969-07-10 | Hedgemon Lewis | LWWWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | LOST Unanimous decision |
1969-03-13 | Chucho Garcia | WWWWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Unanimous decision |
1969-02-18 | Brad Silas | LLLWLL | Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles | WIN KO |
1969-01-30 | Raul Soriano | WWWWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1968-12-18 | Benny McCorvey | LLLWWL | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Technical knockout |
1968-07-31 | Polo Corona | LLLLLL | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1968-07-18 | Hedgemon Lewis | WWWWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1968-04-30 | Gabe Terronez | LWWWWL | Selland Arena, Fresno | WIN Unanimous decision |
1968-03-03 | Raul Soriano | WLWWWW | Mexicali | LOST Unanimous decision |
1968-02-08 | Bob Murray | WWWLWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Unanimous decision |
1967-11-20 | Doug McLeod | LWWWLW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN KO |
1967-10-12 | Jose Valenzuela | WWLLLL | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1967-08-08 | Musashi Nakano | WWWWWW | Nagoya | WIN KO |
1967-07-06 | Andy Gonzalez | LLWWWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN KO |
1967-06-13 | Phil Robinson | DWLWL | Honolulu International Center, Honolulu | WIN Unanimous decision |
1967-05-22 | Ed McGruder | LLLLWL | Fremont Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Points |
1967-04-20 | Frank Jennings | LWWLWW | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN Technical knockout |
1967-03-27 | Johnny Brooks | LWWLWW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Split-decision |
1967-03-06 | Benito Juarez | LLLWWW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1966-12-12 | Adolph Pruitt | WWWWWL | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | LOST Unanimous decision |
1966-09-19 | Johnny Brooks | WDWWWL | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | LOST Majority decision |
1966-08-22 | Johnny Brooks | LWDWWW | Silver Slipper, Las Vegas | WIN Majority decision |
1966-06-21 | Tito Marshall | LWWLDD | Convention Center, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1966-05-09 | Jose Stable | LLLDLW | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1966-04-04 | Johnny Brooks | WWWLWL | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1966-02-28 | Al Grant | WWWWLD | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1966-02-14 | Mel Fields | WDLDLW | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Technical knockout |
1966-01-31 | Memo Lopez | LLWLLL | Convention Center, Las Vegas | WIN KO |
1966-01-10 | Al Andrews | LLDDWL | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1965-12-20 | Pulga Serrano | WDLWDL | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Technical knockout |
1965-12-06 | Armand Lourenco | WLWWWD | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN KO |
1965-11-08 | Armand Lourenco | WWLWWW | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | DRAW Points |
1965-11-01 | Billy Marsh | WWLLWL | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Unanimous decision |
1964-12-22 | Don Minor | WLWWWW | Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas | LOST Unanimous decision |
1964-10-19 | Chappell Funnye | DWWWLW | Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica | WIN KO |
1964-09-29 | Bernie Magallanes | WWWWW | Castaways Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Points |
1964-06-12 | Joe Clark | WWWL | Convention Center, Las Vegas | WIN Points |
1964-03-30 | Andres Herrera | LLDDLL | Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica | WIN Points |
1964-03-10 | George Green | LL | Castaways Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Technical knockout |
1964-03-03 | Trini Lopez | debut | Valley Garden Arena, Los Angeles | WIN Points |
1964-02-13 | Mickey Davitt | WLWLLD | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles | WIN KO |
1964-02-04 | Carl Moore | DWDWDW | Castaways Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN KO |
1964-01-21 | Armand Lourenco | W | Castaways Hotel, Las Vegas | WIN Points |
1963-06-24 | John Coopride | debut | Fairgrounds Coliseum, Salt Lake City | WIN KO |