By Jake Donovan

Emanuel Lopez claimed an interim junior lightweight title with a knockout win in his hometown earlier this year. His first defense came in his birth town, also resulting in a knockout performance as he battered Rolando Giono into submission in 10 rounds Saturday evening in Comitan, Mexico. 

The belt at stake may not mean much, but Lopez is certainly a fighter to watch in a suddenly crowded junior lightweight division. It showed on Saturday, controlling the real estate against Giono, who was fighting outside of Panama for the first time in his career.

It wasn't a road trip to remember for the visiting challenger, whose defense was leaky although he showed amazing punch resistance considering the number of shots he absorbed. Lopez convinced the referee to stop the fight after a flurry of punches rendered Giono defenseless.

The official time was 1:34 of round ten.

Lopez cruises to 19-4-1 (8KOs) with the win, his fourth straight. Giono falls to 17-6 (11KOs), suffering his first career knockout loss and also his first defeat since dropping a pair of controversial decisions to countryman Jezreel Corrales in 2012. 

Saturday's victory marks Lopez' first defense of a title that is a secondary version to the one in possession of unbeaten long-reigning titlist Takashi Uchiyama, considered by many to be the best junior lightweight in the world. Lopez is still a far cry from such status, although more performances like the one offered on Saturday evening will at least demand the attention of his peers in the meantime.

The main event aired live on beIN Sport Español in the United States and TV Azteca in Mexico. The televised opener saw another junior lightweight hopeful, Miguel Berchelt pick up his fourth straight win after scoring a 6th round stoppage of countryman Sergio Puente. 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox