# Steven Lopez lost to Iran's Yousef Karami in Baku



## Markku P (Jul 2, 2011)

Steven Lopez lost to Iran's Yousef Karami, 5-4, in the Round of 32 in Baku.
Here is link for live feed:

http://www.yildiz.tv/?act=dvr&chan=idmanaz


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## Markku P (Jul 2, 2011)

If you like to see Karami -Lopez fight, then use the link and set time for 9:30! I think it will work next 12 hours.

/Markku P


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## armortkd (Jul 2, 2011)

I'm disappointed for Steven, not shocked because Karami is a great fighter himself. Steven will no doubt qualify the US spot at the Pan Am Qualifier. He'll just have to go thru another US Trials. Really surprised because Steven had a 4-0 lead which Steven is a master at managing the clock & shutting down his opponents. I liked that he was throwing back kicks & even a spin hook kick. Thought he would cut more then pop-up kicks to the face. He reminds me of Bjorn Borg from tennis because he is just always calm in the heat of battle. 

The travesty was Terrence Jennings fight against Turkey with the center ref counting him out & not counting in TJ's line-of-sight. It was a low back kick.


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## andyjeffries (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for the link Markku.

There's no denying Steven Lopez is talented, but the amount of leg blocking he does (and generally gets away with) is sickening!  A player of his talent and history shouldn't need to cheat (and I know the "Steven Lopez Rule" is only recent - but blocking with the leg is unsportsmanlike in WTF Taekwondo).

Oh well, I'm sure he'll qualify at the Pan-American Qualification Tournament...


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## Markku P (Jul 2, 2011)

andyjeffries said:


> Oh well, I'm sure he'll qualify at the Pan-American Qualification Tournament...



..or might not qualify. Level of the fighters is so high and any there is so many good fighters right now. In Baku many "big names" has lost their fights before semi-finals.

/Markku P.


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## Markku P (Jul 2, 2011)

armortkd said:


> The travesty was Terrence Jennings fight against Turkey with the center ref counting him out & not counting in TJ's line-of-sight. It was a low back kick.



I couldn't really see what happened. Terrence Jennings started well but Servet Tazegu is really tought to beat! He is just unbelieve fighter.

/Markku P


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## Gwai Lo Dan (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for the link Markku.  I look forward to your upcoming blog on the new uniforms and colours.


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## rlobrecht (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for the link. 

Rick


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## RSweet (Jul 2, 2011)

armortkd said:


> I'm disappointed for Steven, not shocked because Karami is a great fighter himself. Steven will no doubt qualify the US spot at the Pan Am Qualifier. He'll just have to go thru another US Trials. Really surprised because Steven had a 4-0 lead which Steven is a master at managing the clock & shutting down his opponents. I liked that he was throwing back kicks & even a spin hook kick. Thought he would cut more then pop-up kicks to the face. He reminds me of Bjorn Borg from tennis because he is just always calm in the heat of battle.
> 
> The travesty was Terrence Jennings fight against Turkey with the center ref counting him out & not counting in TJ's line-of-sight. It was a low back kick.



I understand it was the 4 kyongos for blocking with the leg and going out of bounds that killed it.


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## Archtkd (Jul 2, 2011)

Markku P said:


> I couldn't really see what happened. Terrence Jennings started well but Servet Tazegu is really tought to beat! He is just unbelieve fighter.
> 
> /Markku P



I had very hard time following what was going on in that fight, especially with no commentary. They called it a technical knock out but Jennings didn't appear to be seriously hurt. Does anyone know what really happened?


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## RSweet (Jul 2, 2011)

Archtkd said:


> I had very hard time following what was going on in that fight, especially with no commentary. They called it a technical knock out but Jennings didn't appear to be seriously hurt. Does anyone know what really happened?



According to friends in Azerbijan. TJ got a head kick, no score. Juan protested and head kick was granted. 8-8. Turkey backkicked, TJ went down in pain. He was grabbing his hip and probably thinking it was too low to score. The center referee started counting but was to his back and not to his face as required. By the time he realized and got his hands up he had been counted out. Video replay stood by the center's decision.


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## ATC (Jul 2, 2011)

Just use dartfish for the fights, better quality. Jennings got kicked in the groin and then got counted out. was 8-8 up until that point.

Lopez got caught with on head kick then the Lopez defense cost him the match. He got to many Kungo's and lost by 1. He should have had more but the ref did not call all of his knee lifts to block the kicks. Got to stop using the knee to block.

Here is the dartfish link to all the fights.
http://www.dartfish.tv/ChannelHome.aspx?CR=p1

To create an account is free. Don't think you need an account though to watch.

Jenning's fight - http://dartfish.tv/Presenter.aspx?CR=p1c28093m609786#!AQECAAEBAAEBAQAAAAEBD3AxYzI4MDkzbTYwOTc4NgAAAA%3d%3d

Lopez's fight - http://dartfish.tv/Presenter.aspx?C...CAAEBAAEBAQAAAAEBD3AxYzI4MDkzbTYxMjE2MQAAAA==

Enjoy.


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## aftab (Jul 2, 2011)

andyjeffries said:


> Thanks for the link Markku.
> 
> There's no denying Steven Lopez is talented, but the amount of leg blocking he does (and generally gets away with) is sickening!  A player of his talent and history shouldn't need to cheat (and I know the "Steven Lopez Rule" is only recent - but blocking with the leg is unsportsmanlike in WTF Taekwondo).
> 
> Oh well, I'm sure he'll qualify at the Pan-American Qualification Tournament...



Totally agree with you this one - he always seems to get away with his leg blocks like it was the 1980s :-/


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## StudentCarl (Jul 2, 2011)

Whether I like the result for either fighter or not, it sure is nice to discuss matches again without EBPs and electronic scoring being the focus!


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## poph0ly (Jul 2, 2011)

_pic tag: __lopez kisses karami_





Thanks for news.
As an Iranian fighter , I'm very glad to hear the result.
Steve had defeated Hadi Saei (The Great Champion) before.
Yousef Karami is the first Iranian fighter that defeat Steven Lopez!

Cheers.


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## rlobrecht (Jul 2, 2011)

Coverage at the local Houston newspaper's website:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/oly/7637442.html


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## Markku P (Jul 3, 2011)

rlobrecht said:


> Coverage at the local Houston newspaper's website:
> http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/oly/7637442.html




Thanks! This was fun to read:

"silver medalist Mauro Sarmiento, who beat Lopez at the 2008 Olympics in a match that WTF officials eventually acknowledged was judged incorrectly."

When and who said from WTF?

/Markku P.


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## Markku P (Jul 3, 2011)

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> Thanks for the link Markku.  I look forward to your upcoming blog on the new uniforms and colours.




I will write very soon! I have right now summer vacation so I haven't been able to write.
( actually I have been just lazy )

/Markku P.


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## Markku P (Jul 3, 2011)

Today Diana Lopez lost to Chinese Taipei. Do not know the scores but I think she won 2 previous fights.

So no Olympic spots for USA yet, Spain also didn't get but Sweden got one place!

/Markku P.


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## Markku P (Jul 3, 2011)

My mistake.. Diana Lopez Won her first fight against AUS and then lost for Chinese Taipei.

/Markku


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## terryl965 (Jul 3, 2011)

We have had very bad performances this year at worlds and now at the qualifier. Maybe we need to send some of the other weight classes and give them there chance like stephen Lamdom just to name someone. 

I just cannot remember the last time we have been dominated like this, can anyone else.


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## armortkd (Jul 3, 2011)

I agree that Steven & Mark Lopez are a little past their "peak". Terrence Jennings took it to Servet Tazegul who is the current World Champion & the most exciting fighter as of late. Steven Lopez will need to STOP leg-checking & use his cut kick if he's gonna win another Olympic Gold Medal!!! Stephen Lambdin will be ready in 2016. We'll have to see about Terrence Jennings & TJ Curry on their performances in their respective weight classes. What is gonna be exciting is the Pan Am Qualification where Peru, Mexico, & USA are strong in featherweight. I have no doubts that Steven will qualify at welterweight!

Diana Lopez will qualify at Pan Ams. I unsure for Paige qualifying at welterweight, but she's gonna get better in the next few years. What is gonna be crazy is the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials!!!!!!! I think all of the fighters are gonna "let loose" & go for it because every fighter with the exception of Diana is very vunerable right now. All of this IMHO.


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## Rumy73 (Jul 8, 2011)

Yousef with his intentional falls, faking injury to rest and grabbing incessently... What a champ.


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## puunui (Jul 8, 2011)

terryl965 said:


> We have had very bad performances this year at worlds and now at the qualifier. Maybe we need to send some of the other weight classes and give them there chance like stephen Lamdom just to name someone. I just cannot remember the last time we have been dominated like this, can anyone else.



USA always brought home medals at every WTF International Event until this year. For decades USA was the number two country in the world in terms of medal production, right behind Korea. I think it is a combination of a lot of factors all coming together at the same time -- stagnant us developmental program, other countries getting better, Lopez family losing steam for a variety of reasons, enforcement of steven lopez anti leg checking rule (developed specifically to neutralize him), La Just at world championships, general anti-american sentiment worldwide and not just in taekwondo, lack of political or other power of US representatives to WTF, poor behavior repeatedly exhibited by USAT representatives at WTF events, general dislike of David Askinas within WTF, etc. You cannot have all these things going on at the same time and not expect negative ramifications.


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## terryl965 (Jul 8, 2011)

puunui said:


> USA always brought home medals at every WTF International Event until this year. For decades USA was the number two country in the world in terms of medal production, right behind Korea. I think it is a combination of a lot of factors all coming together at the same time -- stagnant us developmental program, other countries getting better, Lopez family losing steam for a variety of reasons, enforcement of steven lopez anti leg checking rule (developed specifically to neutralize him), La Just at world championships, general anti-american sentiment worldwide and not just in taekwondo, lack of political or other power of US representatives to WTF, poor behavior repeatedly exhibited by USAT representatives at WTF events, general dislike of David Askinas within WTF, etc. You cannot have all these things going on at the same time and not expect negative ramifications.



I can only agree with you puunui, we have got to get a better stream line of talent to keep the pool flowing. I was hoping for some great fights from all our fighter especially Stven and Diane, I am sure they will qualify in Mexico. Whatever happens we need to back the athletes and support them as much as possible.


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## ATC (Jul 8, 2011)

Develop the new talent. We have some good competitors but the lack of attention to getting these guys up to par is what is missing. Plus I say that any competitors coach that got them there should share in coaching at the major events. Not just the Olympic team coaches. Who knows the competitors best? These coaches should be there as assistants at least.

Gene Lopez made this exact point as a positive for why he and Steven were on top. Maybe Steven does not have 5 WC or 2 OG without Gene. Point is that Steven had his coach with him the entire time. Let someone else try it also. What makes Gene or Juan a better coach for any other than his own guy?


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## puunui (Jul 8, 2011)

ATC said:


> Plus I say that any competitors coach that got them there should share in coaching at the major events. Not just the Olympic team coaches. Who knows the competitors best? These coaches should be there as assistants at least.



Historically, I believe we have won more medals when players do not have their personal instructor as their coach. Steven Lopez for example, won his first Olympic gold medal with GM Young In Cheon sitting in his chair. Someone also told me that Juan Moreno has sat in the chair of many of his athletes who have never medalled at WTF International Events and the only people who Jean seems to coach to medals are his family members. I haven't followed that too much so I wouldn't know. But if that is true, then it would give another perspective on the importance or unimportance of having one's personal coach at an international event.


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