A Conversation with Former WBC Featherweight World Champion and Hall of Fame Boxer, Danny “Little Red” Lopez

By Dan Hernandez

“What I remember most from my boxing career was winning the title from David Kotey in Africa, overcoming the crowd, Kotey, and 80 Degree humidity.”

The 1970’s were a particular fertile time for boxing in Los Angeles and two of the many stars were the Lopez brothers, Ernie “Big Red” and Danny “Little Red.” Danny, 42-6 (39 knockouts), reached the heights of the featherweight division, winning the WBA 126 pound World Championship from worthy titleholder, David Kotey, 40-7-1(24 KO‘s), at the Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana on June 11, 1976. Danny made 8 successful defenses before losing his title and the subsequent rematch, to the remarkable Salvador Sanchez, 44-1 (32 KO‘s), being stopped by TKO in round 13 on February 2, 1980 and losing the rematch in a failed attempt to regain the title when he suffered a TKO in round 14 on June 6, 1980. In his career, Lopez had registered major knockout victories over such stalwart opponents as Mike Ayala in the Ring Magazine’s 1974 Fight of the Year, a 15th round knockout, Roberto Castanon, Kotey, Art Hafey, Sean O’Grady, and Reuben Olivares, among other top fighters.

Well-respected Showtime boxing analyst, Steve Farhood, has stated regarding Little Red‘s style and habit of being knocked down and coming back stronger than ever, “Danny Lopez was Matthew Saad Muhammad before there was a Matthew Saad Muhammad.” In addition, he added, “He was as hard a puncher as I’ve ever seen in the featherweight division. He was also very slow and was always getting off the floor to win, which made for great television fights. If he could hit you there was nobody he couldn’t take out.” Lopez won his title with a 15 round decision over David Kotey, in front of 120,000 screaming fans at the soccer stadium in Kotey’s hometown of Accra, Ghana. The fact that the stadium normally held 80,000 people must have made the noise level and pressure overwhelming; however, Little Red prevailed to win the championship in handy fashion. Danny proved his mastery over Kotey by scoring a sixth round TKO in a rematch held in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 15, 1978.

Today Lopez is a proud father of three young men, a grandfather, and devoted husband. Danny holds down a full-time job in construction, where he lays pipe and other related chores and sounds genuinely happy. He even has his brother Ernie back in his life, who, after taking a circuitous route caused by depressions
and other detours. now resides with a sister, is well cared for, and has loved ones nearby at all times. Ernie is a member of the California Boxing Hall of Fame. “Big Red” had spent a long time living alone on the streets and was finally located after an exhaustive search and brought back home. Danny has been quoted as saying, “It was like he came back from the dead, it was good having him back.” Danny has been inducted in the World Boxing Hall of Fame based in Canastota, New York and enjoys his leisure time participating in celebrity golf tournaments and family functions. Danny was kind enough to share a little of his present day life and his illustrious past.


DH: How are you?

I’m doing fine.

DH: Are you working?

I messed up one of my ribs, my back ribs, and I’m kind of sitting inside waiting for that to heal up right now.

DH: How did you do that?

I fell off, we have a pretty good size bed and I fell off and landed on the staircase that we have going up to the bed. It’s made of wood and I cracked a rib.

DH: How long have you been out?

About two weeks.

You’re pretty active aren’t you?

Yeah, pretty much. I’m about to go back to the doctor to have him release me to go back to work.

DH: What kind of work do you do, Danny?

I work for a construction company doing water and sewer lines.

DH: Were you doing something else after boxing?

I was doing some acting for a while or trying to.

DH: A little like Carlos Palomino, is that right.

Yeah, a little.
DH: Do you keep in contact with the boxers from your time period?

I see them at a lot of the boxing functions, particularly at the California Boxing Hall of Fame. They are all pretty nice guys, Mando Muniz, Armando Ramos, Carlos Palomino, all of them.

DH: How are you health-wise, except for your rib?

I feel good, yeah.

DH: Do you keep in contact with any of your old opponents?

No, I don’t. I do see Reuben Olivares who I fought, I saw him at the Hall of Fame in Canastota, but I haven’t been back there for about 3 years. Reuben was doing real well.

DH: Did you see Carmen Basilio?

We always see him. What a character.

DH: Are you involved in the Boxing Hall of Fame?

No, just when they invite me to go. My wife, Bonnie, and I have gone there as guests. I don’t really do anything for them except to go play in their golf tournaments.

DH: Do you like to golf?

Yeah, pretty much so, but I don’t know how I swing now.

DH: How long have you been married, Danny?

I’ve been married going on 35 years. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re real good. We have three boys and four grandkids. My oldest son lives in Idaho and he has our granddaughter, Danielle and grandson, Justin. Danielle is eight and Justine is three.

DH: Do you see them often?

We flew back there this last summer, actually in the spring is when we went. We were there on spring break and we had like 5 inches of snow. It was ok. We took warm jackets.

DH: What do you remember most about your career, Danny?

Probably just winning the title in Ghana, Africa. We were in David Kotey’s home country and we fought in 80 % humidity at two in the morning, in the rain. And I still got out of there with the title.

DH: What does it feel like to be a champion?

It’s nice. It’s the top of the world.

DH: Do you still have that same feeling from what you achieved?

Yeah, sure. I still have my trophies and belts hanging around so it reminds me of what I did and was able to accomplish.

DH: Your brother was a very good fighter also.

Yeah, Ernie was very good. He fought “Mantequilla” Napoles twice for the welterweight title, Ernie lost to him the first time in the 14th or 15th round, then he fought him again in ‘75, I think, and lost to him again, he was stopped in the seventh round.

DH: Is he still doing well, I hope?

He was out there in the street for a few years, and then they ended up putting him in the California Boxing Hall of Fame. His ex-wife actually found out where he was, nobody knew where he was. He was on the street in San Antonio, Texas and they flew him in and inducted him in the Hall. He is living with our sister Naomi now.

DH: Is he healthy now?

Well with the life he had on the road and the shots he’s taken, he’s not really too sharp. His memory is kind of messed up.

DH: Your memory sounds ok.

Yeah, I’m not in too bad shape. Bobby Chacon is in bad shape now but he is still a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.

DH: Danny, how were you able to take those hard punches and keep going?

I had a hard head. (Lots of laughter)

DH: Did you like to fight when you were in school?

I boxed in the amateurs, started out at 16 and fought in a boxing club in Orem, Utah. Then when I left high school, I moved out here to turn pro. I had some problems in school, not to bad, then boxing took over.

DH: You were known to have a big punch in either hand, weren’t you?

I had a pretty good right hand and my left hand was pretty strong too.

DH: How long was your career?

I turned pro in 1972 and retired in 1980, after Salvador Sanchez came and beat me. He was powerful.

DH: Terribly sad ending for Sanchez, wasn’t it?

Yes, the automobile crash. Bad news.

DH: There must be a reason why some of us keep going and others don’t.

I guess so, everything has a reason.

DH: Beside the Kotey fight is there one fight or fighter that stands out to you?

My stablemate, Alberto Davila. I just spoke with him last night. he called me and we kind of keep in contact every month or so. I remember his birthday and he remembers mine, he calls up and we reminisce a little bit here and there. Alberto was a bantamweight champion of the world. He was from Pomona, California and lives nearby in Upland, now. He is doing well and works for a cabinet building company.

DH: What do you do for hobbies and stuff Danny?

Mainly I golf in the celebrity golf tournaments. That’s my main passion. That’s about it.

DH: It’s been a pleasure Danny. Is there anything you’d like to add for the readers?

Obviously, my wife is responsible for 90% of the success of my career. I have been with her since I was an amateur. A good wife contributes to a good boxer and I think Albert Davila could say the same about his wife and that’s about it.

DH: That’s very nice, thank you.

Thank you for the interview, I enjoyed it.