ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando native Geo “La Roca” Lopez is preparing to return to the ring in October after more than a year away from boxing because of an anterior cruciate ligament and surgery.

Lopez, 22, is unbeaten as a professional boxer with an 18-0 record and 12 knockouts.

He is known for a powerful punch that helped inspire his nickname.

“It’s a punch he’s been learning since he was little as a southpaw,” said Don Roca, Lopez’s father and trainer. “He’s able to knock people out with one punch, so we call it ‘La Roca.’ We call it ‘The Elevator,’ too, because it will take you down to the basement.”

Lopez said the nickname fits his style in the ring.

“You can tell by my knockouts, too, that I hit like a rock,” Lopez said.

The young boxer was on the rise last year and preparing for a fight against former world champion René Alvarado when he suffered a knee injury during training.

He said that the movement that caused it was something he had done many times in the past.

“It wasn’t the training or nothing. It was a perfect storm,” Lopez said. “I didn’t know that I had a torn ACL, and I had a fight literally like the next month after, and I won by unanimous decision.”

Lopez had ACL surgery three months after the fight. He said the early part of his recovery was the most difficult.

“The hardest part was the first two weeks,” Lopez said. “I probably slept, at the most, three hours during the day because it was a lot of pain. It was hard. There (were) good days and bad days, but I trusted God and I put all my faith in him.”

After more than a year of rehabilitation and training, Lopez said the scar from surgery is now a reminder of what he has overcome.

“It reminds me of what I’ve been through, and it gives me strength to keep on moving forward and keep on going,” Lopez said.

Don Roca said he is looking forward to seeing his son compete again after the long layoff.

“I asked him the other day, ‘What do you miss the most?’ Because he hasn’t boxed in over a year,” Roca said. “I thought he was going to say going inside the ring or the paycheck, and he said, ‘To lay hands on the opponent and punch somebody in the face, I really miss that.’ So, I’m happy to see him perform and do things like that.”