On this day, Matthew Saad Muhammad rematched Álvaro López, better known by his nickname Yaqui. The bout is considered best fight of 1980. In this fight, Saad Muhammad faced adversity as he was hit with 20 unanswered blows in the eighth round. However, he managed to recover and went on to knock López down five times, ultimately securing a 14th-round knockout victory. The bout is considered a modern classic and added to the legend of Matthew Saad Muhammad. Some consider this bout to be the closest Stockton's López ever came to obtaining a world title.
Saad Muhammad reportedly earned $150,000 for the fight with López making $40,000.
Despite a strong start from Lopez, from the 9th round onwards, Saad Muhammad dominated the fight, winning every round until the 14th.
The first fight between Saad Muhammad and López ended in a knockout win for Saad Muhammad.
Saad Muhammad's story was a uniquely boxing story as his early life was marked by tragedy and difficult circumstances. His mother passed away when he was just an infant, as he and his older brother were placed under the care of an aunt. However, at the mere age of five years old, his aunt could no longer afford to look after both children, so she instructed his brother to abandon him. Saad's brother took him to Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia and left him there. Eventually, he was found asleep on the steps of a church in the early dew of the morning hour.
Saad Muhammad was then cared by Catholic Social Services, where he got the name Matthew Franklin, named after the saint and the parkway where he was found.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Saad Muhammad gained popularity among boxing fans due to his action-oriented style in the ring as well as his resilience. His ability to stage a comeback made him a legend as his ability to bounce back in fights earned him the nickname "Miracle Matthew."
Saad Muhammad was also part of a group of world champions who converted to Islam and changed their names, this was after the Muhammad Ali era. The others in this group were Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (formerly Eddie Gregory) and Dwight Muhammad Qawi (formerly Dwight Braxton). Saad Muhammad cited Muhammad Ali's own religious transformation, as a major inspiration.
