BATTLING BACK; PALMDALE BOXER FINDS A LITTLE INCENTIVE.

Byline: John Sanders Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Olympic boxing silver medalist Hector Lopez's 3-year-old son, Adam, climbed on his dad's lap on the couch in his Palmdale home and laid his head on his father's shoulder. About five minutes later, Adam was in a deep sleep.

Lopez, 32, looked over at his mentor Blinky Rodriguez, and said, ``This is a bigger trophy than anything else. So many guys can't do this. They have to see their kids through a window for the rest of their life.''

It wasn't long ago that Lopez was behind bars wondering if he would be that person on the other side of the window watching his kids grow up.

``When I was young and I went away for the first time, it was much easier doing the time,'' Lopez said. ``But this time, being without your family was the hardest thing. I couldn't see my boys. I grew up without a dad, and you want to be there for them.''

Lopez is now out of jail and has turned his life around and hopes to fight for the championship of the world, once again.

Born in Mexico, Lopez grew up on the streets of south Glendale, where he was a hard-core gang member.

He began boxing when he was 9 years old. He began his boxing career winning more than 100 amateur fights. Lopez fought some of the greats in boxing at the amateur division, including the likes of former junior lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez.

Lopez boxed in the 1984 Olympics for Mexico.

Lopez recalls being nervous until he knocked out his first opponent.

``It was an experience that you'll never forget,'' he said.

Lopez reached the finals in the bantamweight division (119 pounds), but was defeated by Maurizio Stecca of Italy. Lopez took the silver medal.

Lopez took his skills to the professional ranks, and he won 20 of his first 21 professional fights before his career hit a major obstacle.

When Lopez was 20 years old he was sent to prison for pistol-whipping the cousin of his girlfriend, now his wife, and punching her father. Lopez was sentenced to four years in prison but only served 2 1/2 years of that.

``I wasn't a good citizen at that time,'' Lopez said. ``I have been a meaner person outside the ring. I had a real bad attitude before I went in. I thought I would never get out.''

Lopez eventually did get out. He rededicated himself to the sport of boxing.

In 1992, he lost a tough fight to Kostya Tszyu, now the junior welterweight champion of the world and considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. In 1993, he fought for the World Boxing Council lightweight (135 pounds) title against Miguel Angel Gonzalez in his native Mexico.

Lopez said the fans didn't respect him because he grew up in the United States. The partisan crowd was much in favor of Gonzalez, who pulled off the decision. That was Lopez's first title shot; he would have two more chances after the Gonzalez fight.

His next championship bout came in 1995 when he fought for the World Boxing Organization's junior welterweight (140 pounds) title against a tough Sammie Fuentes. That fight was named by many as the fight of the year. Fuentes beat Lopez by a decision.

That time Lopez had trouble making the 140-pound limit. He had to lose 3 1/2 pounds in two hours.

He has held such crowns as the North American Boxing Federation title and the North American Boxing Organization title.

Lopez was at the top of his game, a flamboyant fighter who just wanted a chance. But Lopez said he had trouble getting real title fights.

``This business is hard, and it's never been easy for me, and I've never really had any breaks, but I've never really asked for any breaks,'' he said. ``I believe I can still fight.''

In 1998, Lopez's career hit another snag. He was sent to prison again, on a DUI charge. He was sentenced to one year in prison but served only 10 months.

Following his release in April, Lopez started training again. He fought last month for the world title against Randall Bailey, a fight aired on the cable network Showtime. After 18 months of inactivity, Lopez was stopped in the ninth round by Bailey.

``I thought it was a good fight, but I didn't feel my best,'' Lopez said. ``I don't really think the fight took that much out of me, like I don't have any more fights left in me. I just have to go back to my basics. I don't feel beat up.''

Lopez said that he wants to fight the best fighters in the world.

``Of course I would like to fight Randall Bailey again, because he beat me,'' he said. ``I would like to fight Kostya Tszyu again, because everybody thinks he's the top of the 140 (weight). I got the style to beat Kostya Tszyu. I can adjust to any style out there. I want to fight the best.''

Lopez, whose record is 42-6, said that he has sparred with Tszyu in Australia. And he would like one day to fight the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez.

Lopez said he has trouble making the 140-pound weight limit and he feels stronger at 147 pounds, possibly prompting him to move up to that division. That division has fighters like ``Sugar'' Shane Mosley, Ike ``Bazooka'' Quartey, the ``Golden Boy'' Oscar De La Hoya and Felix ``Tito'' Trinidad.

Lopez has since gone back to his former trainer, Dub Huntley, who Lopez said will make a huge difference.

Another difficulty, Lopez said, is a breathing problem caused by a deviated septum. The fighter said he might just have to wear a special mask while he is in training.

Lopez never knew his father and considers Rodriguez like a dad, brother and mentor.

``I used to always say the tragedy is going to be when you look back at Hector's life and it says who beat Hector, and you open the page and it says Hector beat Hector,'' said Rodriguez, who works as a color commentator for professional kickboxing.

``When he came home (from his first stint in prison) I had him, in a sense, under my wing, not as a fighter but as a person. He's made some heavy adjustments in the last year.''

Rodriguez and Lopez now give motivational talks at youth camps, juvenile halls, high schools and middle schools.

Rodriguez said that they used to have meetings with local street gang members with the hopes of possibly getting them out of gangs. They also speak to people about to go to prison about how they can make their time in jail seem shorter.

``I feel that if I help some youngsters, they might someday help my kids,'' Lopez said. ``It's just a feeling that you have in your heart for them. It's something you just try to give back.''

When Lopez is not training, he's out playing baseball with his other son, Hector Jr., 5, or he's out shopping with his wife of five years, Norma. Or maybe he's out at his church, Living Faith Christian.

Lopez said that he just wants to provide a good lifestyle for his family.

``I never knew him,'' said Lopez of his father. ``I would not like my kids to have to go through that. I try to make things better for them.''

Lopez now resides in Palmdale, where he has lived for three years after moving from North Hollywood.

The boxer said he likes living in Palmdale and that some of his relatives also live there.

``It seems like everything is coming together,'' said Lopez's wife, Norma. ``We've been through a lot, but it's connecting now.''

Rodriguez, too, feels Lopez's life is on the right track.

``I've seen him mature. Even when he had his kids, he still had a wild streak in him,'' he said. ``I've always seen the good in him. I'm one of the few people that can bring correction to him. I've seen him come to a place in his life now where he realizes, there's more to life than Hector Lopez.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1 -- color -- ran P. 1) Former Olympic boxer and prison inmate Hector Lopez holds some of the belts he won in the ring at his home in Palmdale. Fatherhood has helped him turn his life around.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Boxer Hector Lopez works with 5-year-old son Hector Emiliano Jr. on his punches at his Palmdale home during the holidays.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer