David Lopez, right, moves in on Billy Lyell in the fifth round of their middleweight fight at Desert Diamond Casino. Lopez, of Nogales, Sonora, won by knockout.

PHOTOS BY JILL TORRANCE / arizona daily star

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If one began watching Friday night's fight in the fourth round, "El Destroyer" would have appeared to be just that, using considerable advantages in talent and reach to pick apart late addition Billy Lyell before knocking him out.

David Lopez — a favorite son of Nogales, Sonora — swung a right hook around Lyell's left arm, nailing him in the jaw for the winner 2 minutes 10 seconds into the fifth round.

Lyell stumbled when trying to get up after about six seconds, and the fight was called. He eventually rose, receiving a more-than-polite round of applause from the pro-Lopez crowd at Desert Diamond Casino.

For at least the first three rounds, the Youngstown, Ohio, middleweight attacked Lopez with the energy of a hyper dog. The judges agreed — through four rounds they had it as a draw.

Careful to protect his head from a spot that seems to keep getting cut, Lopez appeared cautious at first. He seemed to snap out of it late in the third round.

After the fight, Lopez (26-12, 23 KOs) admitted he did not start well.

"At first I was a little bit tired," he said through a translator. "As the rounds got better, I started picking up."

Lopez's energy shortage might have something to do with his weight. Lopez fought at 157 pounds Friday, the first time he has been so light in more than two years.

Lopez said he did not lose too much weight for the fight. He won $20,000 for his victory.

"It didn't affect me," he said. "I was getting ready for this fight."

Leivi Brea was not ready for his. The New Jersey native was knocked out by Jhonny Gonzalez after only 2:47.

The Mexico City native landed a left hook to Brea under his right ribcage. He crumbled, and the fight was stopped by Tucsonan Bobby Ferrara.

Gonzalez, who made $9,000 Friday, used the victory to call out WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez, sitting ringside.

Vazquez — who figures to fight again at the end of the year — would not commit either way, deferring to his promotion company.

"Golden Boy has the ultimate word," he said.

Gonzalez (39-6, 33 KOs) laughed that he'd do it next week, if he could.

"Now I'm ready for a championship," he said.

The night's lone major upset came when little-known Coloradan Ernie Marquez (7-4, three KOs) handed Cuban refugee Yan Barthelemy his first professional loss in seven attempts.

Barthelemy received more money for fighting ($19,000) than anyone on the card other than Lopez — and owns a 2004 Olympic gold medal.

In the sixth and final round of the bantamweight fight, Barthelemy was docked one point for holding. It was the most energy he showed all night in losing the unanimous decision.

In other action:

● Quick-as-a-blur Hylon Williams won a unanimous decision against San Antonio native Ramiro Torres in a four-round lightweight match.

● Rio Rico's Baladan Treviso, who was added to the card only Friday, lost a unanimous decision to Houston's Elezar Renteria.

● Heavyweight Ashanti Jordan knocked out Ethan Cox in the third round for his fifth knockout in as many fights.

● Welterweight Mauricio Herrera defeated previously undefeated Daniel Cervantes in a unanimous decision.