Although, only four years in age separates Garcia and Lopez, (and indeed only four fights), the difference could easily be many more years and fights, if we are to measure the true fistic mileage that both men have travelled. While Garcia has been brought along steadily, developing with each fight and not having many wars along the way, Lopez has had a firecracker of a career that has seen him fighting at world level for the past six years, and engaging in a long trail of exciting, but physically draining battles.
One thing, which both men have in common, is Orlando Salido, with Lopez losing his WBO title to Salido, and Garcia then beating Salido for the title earlier this year. It is these contrasting results against Salido, which may well mark the crucial difference between Garcia and Lopez, and indicate how one man is developing, while the other deteriorating.
It was a huge upset when Juan Lopez lost his WBO title to the rugged veteran Orlando Salido in April 2011, with Lopez being stopped controversially in the 8th round, while still fighting back, after what had been a brutal toe-to-toe encounter. The defeat was Lopez’s first as a professional, and dented plans for him to go on to bigger things. Despite the loss, many felt that Lopez would regain his title when the two men met again eleven months later. However, this time, although the fight was another war, Salido seemed to hold the edge throughout, as he out-worked and out-punched a brave but sluggish looking Lopez.
When the referee stopped the action in the 10th round, there seemed to be little cause for argument this time, as Lopez had taken a fearful amount of punishment, and looked to be out on his feet upon the ropes. But following the stoppage, there was more controversy. During the post fight interview, Lopez bitterly protested the stoppage, and alleged that referee Robert Ramirez Sr. had ended the fight due to his involvement with a gambling ring.
In the ensuring furore, Lopez found himself suspended by the Puerto Rican boxing commission, with the general consensus being that he had made his allegations while not thinking clearly after taking such heavy punishment. Ironically, the referee was the father of Robert Ramirez Jr., who had refereed Lopez’s first fight with Salido, and had been criticized for stopping that fight too early.
If anything, the suspension Lopez was handed, and the consequent year away from ring action, may well have done him some good, he says himself that he feels refreshed and that his body has healed from all the battles it has been through. How far this new found freshness can take Lopez when he squares up to Garcia is a big question.
It is possible that once Garcia starts landing his big punches upon Lopez, then the former champion’s decline will once more become evident. Garcia is a sharp boxer-puncher, who has underrated power. In winning the WBO title from Salido last January, Garcia had the very durable Salido on the canvas twice in the first round, before going on to dominate the fight, until its rather controversial ending, when an accidental head-butt broke Garcia’s nose. This caused the fight to be stopped in the eighth round, giving Garcia the title via a technical decision.
Style-wise, these two men should match up nicely, with the champion Garcia, being a boxer-puncher, and the southpaw challenger Lopez more an outright brawler, with a big punch.
If there is any visible chink in the armour of the young champion, which may give Juan Lopez some hope, it is the controversial ending to Garcia’s match with Salido. Some criticised Garcia for deciding to take a technical decision, rather than opt to carry on fighting until the match reached a conventional conclusion. Adding to the controversy, was the feeling of some, that Salido was having his best moments of the fight prior to its conclusion, and that Garcia had been showing some indications of tiring.
Lopez has a chance to regain his WBO world featherweight title if he is able to drag Garcia into a back alley brawl, and ask Garcia questions of himself, that he has not yet been asked previously in the ring. The big question about Lopez is whether he still has the resources to drag Garcia into just such a fight or were his two defeats to Orlando Salido indications that the resilience, that took him to victories over fighters, such as Rafael Marquez, Daniel Ponce Delon, and Gerry Penalosa, has been permanently eroded.
Looking back over Lopez’s action-packed title reigns, at super-bantamweight and featherwight, and the wars in which he took part in during those reigns, it becomes clear why the Puerto Rican may be a worn out fighter. Such wars as the Rogers Mtagwa classic, a fight in which both men exchanged leather bombs for 12 brutal rounds, leaving Lopez out on his feet in an extraordinary final round, with only his heart taking him the distance for a point’s victory.
This is a hugely important fight for Lopez, after taking two warm up bouts earlier this year, he now has the chance to regain his former crown, and with it, his position within the boxing world. Victory would put Juan back at the top, and in the mix for a number of possible big fights. Defeat could well mean the end of the road for Lopez, certainly at the top. It is quite simply, make or break for Lopez.
For Garcia, this first defense of his WBO title is his first opportunity to show how good a champion he can be, and whether he can make that step from simply being one of today’s many faceless titleholders, or else develop into one of the elite champions, and have a substantial reign at the top.
Juan Manuel Lopez has never been in a dull fight, but while this has endeared him to many boxing fans, and taken him to two world titles at two different weights, his all-action style of fighting tends to lead to a short career. The chances are that Mikey Garcia will be too young and too strong, for Juan Manuel Lopez this Saturday, and will out-box and eventually out-punch the ex-champion for an inside the distance victory.
Mikey Garcia (33-2, 30kos) makes the first defense of his WBO world featherweight championship this Saturday against former champion Juan Manuel Lopez, in what could be a very interesting encounter, at the American Airlines Centre, Dallas, Texas. In many ways, this is a throwback fight, pitting the young champion just starting out on his title reign, against a war torn ex champion, attempting to regain his former glories. One of the things that make this contest intriguing is that we are yet unsure just how good Mikey Garcia is, and at the same time, we don’t know how good Juan Lopez remains.
Although, only four years in age separates Garcia and Lopez, (and indeed only four fights), the difference could easily be many more years and fights, if we are to measure the true fistic mileage that both men have travelled. While Garcia has been brought along steadily, developing with each fight and not having many wars along the way, Lopez has had a firecracker of a career that has seen him fighting at world level for the past six years, and engaging in a long trail of exciting, but physically draining battles.
One thing, which both men have in common, is Orlando Salido, with Lopez losing his WBO title to Salido, and Garcia then beating Salido for the title earlier this year. It is these contrasting results against Salido, which may well mark the crucial difference between Garcia and Lopez, and indicate how one man is developing, while the other deteriorating.
It was a huge upset when Juan Lopez lost his WBO title to the rugged veteran Orlando Salido in April 2011, with Lopez being stopped controversially in the 8th round, while still fighting back, after what had been a brutal toe-to-toe encounter. The defeat was Lopez’s first as a professional, and dented plans for him to go on to bigger things. Despite the loss, many felt that Lopez would regain his title when the two men met again eleven months later. However, this time, although the fight was another war, Salido seemed to hold the edge throughout, as he out-worked and out-punched a brave but sluggish looking Lopez.
When the referee stopped the action in the 10th round, there seemed to be little cause for argument this time, as Lopez had taken a fearful amount of punishment, and looked to be out on his feet upon the ropes. But following the stoppage, there was more controversy. During the post fight interview, Lopez bitterly protested the stoppage, and alleged that referee Robert Ramirez Sr. had ended the fight due to his involvement with a gambling ring.
In the ensuring furore, Lopez found himself suspended by the Puerto Rican boxing commission, with the general consensus being that he had made his allegations while not thinking clearly after taking such heavy punishment. Ironically, the referee was the father of Robert Ramirez Jr., who had refereed Lopez’s first fight with Salido, and had been criticized for stopping that fight too early.
If anything, the suspension Lopez was handed, and the consequent year away from ring action, may well have done him some good, he says himself that he feels refreshed and that his body has healed from all the battles it has been through. How far this new found freshness can take Lopez when he squares up to Garcia is a big question.
It is possible that once Garcia starts landing his big punches upon Lopez, then the former champion’s decline will once more become evident. Garcia is a sharp boxer-puncher, who has underrated power. In winning the WBO title from Salido last January, Garcia had the very durable Salido on the canvas twice in the first round, before going on to dominate the fight, until its rather controversial ending, when an accidental head-butt broke Garcia’s nose. This caused the fight to be stopped in the eighth round, giving Garcia the title via a technical decision.
Style-wise, these two men should match up nicely, with the champion Garcia, being a boxer-puncher, and the southpaw challenger Lopez more an outright brawler, with a big punch.
If there is any visible chink in the armour of the young champion, which may give Juan Lopez some hope, it is the controversial ending to Garcia’s match with Salido. Some criticised Garcia for deciding to take a technical decision, rather than opt to carry on fighting until the match reached a conventional conclusion. Adding to the controversy, was the feeling of some, that Salido was having his best moments of the fight prior to its conclusion, and that Garcia had been showing some indications of tiring.
Lopez has a chance to regain his WBO world featherweight title if he is able to drag Garcia into a back alley brawl, and ask Garcia questions of himself, that he has not yet been asked previously in the ring. The big question about Lopez is whether he still has the resources to drag Garcia into just such a fight or were his two defeats to Orlando Salido indications that the resilience, that took him to victories over fighters, such as Rafael Marquez, Daniel Ponce Delon, and Gerry Penalosa, has been permanently eroded.
Looking back over Lopez’s action-packed title reigns, at super-bantamweight and featherwight, and the wars in which he took part in during those reigns, it becomes clear why the Puerto Rican may be a worn out fighter. Such wars as the Rogers Mtagwa classic, a fight in which both men exchanged leather bombs for 12 brutal rounds, leaving Lopez out on his feet in an extraordinary final round, with only his heart taking him the distance for a point’s victory.
This is a hugely important fight for Lopez, after taking two warm up bouts earlier this year, he now has the chance to regain his former crown, and with it, his position within the boxing world. Victory would put Juan back at the top, and in the mix for a number of possible big fights. Defeat could well mean the end of the road for Lopez, certainly at the top. It is quite simply, make or break for Lopez.
For Garcia, this first defense of his WBO title is his first opportunity to show how good a champion he can be, and whether he can make that step from simply being one of today’s many faceless titleholders, or else develop into one of the elite champions, and have a substantial reign at the top.
Juan Manuel Lopez has never been in a dull fight, but while this has endeared him to many boxing fans, and taken him to two world titles at two different weights, his all-action style of fighting tends to lead to a short career. The chances are that Mikey Garcia will be too young and too strong, for Juan Manuel Lopez this Saturday, and will out-box and eventually out-punch the ex-champion for an inside the distance victory.
Originally published at The Boxing Tribune 6-12-2013
http://theboxingtribune.com/2013/06/mikey-garcia-vs-juan-manuel-lopez-duel-in-dallas/
Copyright © 2013 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved.
Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com
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