Lopez Starts His Comeback Tonight in Bout at Irvine

Danny (Little Red) Lopez, who parlayed a free-swinging boxing style into a world championship in the 1970s, launches a comeback bid tonight at the Irvine Marriott.

Lopez, 39, was 28 when he retired in 1980, after consecutive defeats by the late Salvador Sanchez of Mexico. Lopez, who earned $1.5 million in his career from 1971-1980, will earn $7,000 tonight for meeting journeyman Jorge Rodriguez in a bout at 132 pounds.

Turned down by the California Athletic Commission staff when he applied for a boxing license last September, Lopez appealed directly to the commission. He was granted a second screening session and was licensed.

Lopez, who stopped his first 21 opponents--12 of them in two rounds or less--in the early 1970s at the Olympic Auditorium, won the World Boxing Council featherweight championship with a decision over Dave Kotey in 1976.

He defended the title eight times before losing it to Sanchez in 1980. Sanchez stopped Lopez in the 13th round. In a rematch, Sanchez stopped him in the 14th.

Lopez is 42-5 with 39 knockouts. Rodriguez says he is 23-26-3. But Southland boxing statistician Dean Lohuis says Rodriguez is 13-26-3.