WBO CHAMP LOPEZ CONGRATULATES ABE CONCEPCION
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 29 Jul 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada ? The present congratulating the future.
This was how Filipino boxing manager and promoter Aljoe Jaro described the scenario in the dressing room of his ward North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight king Bernabe ?Kamaong Llave? Concepcion at the MGM Grand Arena here when World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez came to shake the hands of Concepcion several minutes after the Filipino champion dismantled in three rounds Adam Carrera of Mexico.
?We are witnessing the present world champion congratulating the future world champion,? Jaro declared in jest. ?Who knows, Concepcion could be Lopez?s next challenger.?
When Lopez (22-0, 20 KOs) entered the dressing room, he immediately commended Concepcion?s electrifying stoppage victory over Carrera telling him ?very good performance. You will be the next (world) champion?
Lopez, of Juncos, Puerto Rico, became WBO champion on June 7, this year when he ambushed the feared Daniel Ponce De Leon, Carrera?s compatriot, in the opening round at the Broadwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
?Lopez was very nice as he befriended Abe (Bernabe Concepcion). They even posed for souvenir ,? Jaro said.
Lopez turned professional in 2005 following the Olympic Games, boxing in the junior featherweight division. As a professional he is promoted by Top Rank. Lopez debuted on January 29, 2005 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico picking a quick knockout victory against also debuting boxer Luis Col?n.
He would go on to defeat nine straight adversaries by knockout: Ivan Cordero, Efrain Perez, Eric Nemos, Charlie Jones, Roberto Chac?n, Luis Bola?o, Manuel Sanabria and Jose Luis Caro.
On March 4, 2006 he would win his first fight by unanimous decision against Gilberto Bolanos of Mexico. He would win four more fights before the end of 2006, three of them by knockout. One of these fights was against Jose Alonso, for the WBO Latino Super Bantamweight Championship, a regional championship sanctioned by the World Boxing Organization.
The fight took place on September 30, 2006 in Caguas, Puerto Rico and ended in the third round when Lopez defeated Alonso by technical knockout. His first fight of 2007 took place in Dodge Arena in Phoenix, Arizona against Cuauhtemoc Vargas, in a fight he won when Vargas was unable to continue. He would compete again on March 3 on San Juan, Puerto Rico against Leivi Brea in a fight he won by technical knockout.
On April 28, 2007 Lopez would have his first fight outside of Puerto Rico and the United States in a fight that took place in Barranquilla, Colombia. The fight was against Colombian boxer Jorge Otero, the fight ended when the referee stopped the fight thus giving Lopez another technical knockout victory. Lopez's next fight took place on June 22, 2007 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico against Giovanni Andrade of Brazil as the main event of a card presented by Puerto Rico Best Boxing.
Lopez won the fight by technical knockout at 2:59 of the first round when Andrade indicated to the referee that he couldn't continue. On August 4, 2007 Lopez retained his regional title in a fight where he defeated Hugo Dianzo by technical knockout.
Lopez dominated throughout the fight opening wounds on Dianzo's head. On the tenth round one of Lopez's punches opened one of these wounds further which led to Dianzo losing a significant amount of blood, following this incident the referee stopped the fight. Lopez would successfully defend his regional title against Omar Adorno, in a special boxing card presented by the WBO that took place on October 31, 2007. Juan scored three knockdowns throughout the course of the fight, and after two minutes of the second round had passed he won the fight by knockout. Lopez's fourth title defense took place on February 23, 2008, when he defeated Jonathan Oquendo by technical knockout in the third round of an event titled Guerra Civil.
Top photo: WBO superbantam champion Juan Manuel Lopez (L) poses with NABF superbantam champion Bernabe Concepcion at Concepcion's dressing room at MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday night. Photo by Aljoe Jaro.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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