TWO EXPLOSIVE TITLE FIGHTS ON ABS-CBN ON SUNDAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 21 Jan 2010
Juanma Lopez.
Two of the most exciting fighters in the world today – former WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa see action in an explosive Top Rank card from Madison Square Garden to be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN on Sunday, Manila Time.
Undefeated 26 year old Puerto Rican “Juama’ Lopez who has a record of 27-0 with 24 knockouts is well known to Filipino fight fans who watched him batter a gallant former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa into submission in ten rounds last April 25 before forcing Olivier Lontchi to retire in nine rounds on June 27, 2009 but then finding himself on the verge of a career-shattering knockout against Tanzania’s Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa before surviving to score a twelve round unanimous decision in a terrific fight.
Lopez was visibly hurt in round ten, was on survival mode in the eleventh and was in real danger of being knocked out in the twelfth round or having the referee stop the fight but because Lopez is regarded as a possible successor to Felix “Tito” Trinidad in terms of super star status in Puerto Rico and since he dominated the first half of the fight, referee Eddie Cotton allowed the fight to go the distance.
Lopez moves up in weight to challenge reigning WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano, himself a southpaw with a record of 37-1-1 with 15 knockouts which seems to indicate that Luevano is a better boxer than a puncher.
Luevano’s trainer, former world champion Robert Garcia is in Manila to work the corner of IBF light flyweight champion Brian Viloria who defends his title against Colombia’s Carlos Tamara on Saturday morning and told us he is hoping to catch a 4:00 p.m. flight to New York and get there by 9:00 p.m. which would enable him to be in the corner of Luevano for a big test against the power-punching Lopez.
Garcia said he was confident because his father who is also an excellent trainer is with Luevano. Garcia said Luevano faces “a tough fight but his training went so well and it was the best training camp he’s had... even better than when he won the title. Luevano’s mind is set to win, we’ve seen a lot of videos of Juanma, especially his last fight against Mtagwa and I learned that he’s beatable.”
Garcia said Luevano had seen the videos together with him and knows that Lopez can be beaten and “he’s going out there to pull off an upset.”
He conceded that Juanma “is a very powerful puncher and has only two decisions in all his fights but Steven (Luevano) is mentally prepared and physically prepared and he’s a very smart fighter who will fight smart, keep him on the outside and counter-punch. I have no doubt that Steven with me or without me in the corner is going to come out and do a good job.”
Garcia said Lopez is going to come forward and try to knock out Luevano but Steven is very smart and during the last two months of training he’s been “very careful of Juanma’s right hook. We’ve been working on that and I know Steven is gonna come in and even though he (Luevano)” is a world champion people don’t think he’s got a chance. But there will be an upset.”
Mtagwa, with his fiery showing against Lopez has rightfully earned a crack at WBA featherweight champion Gamboa, the classic Cuban boxer-puncher and 2004 Athens Olympic gold medalist who defected to the United States and now fights out of Florida.
The undefeated 28 year old Gamboa has a record of 16 wins with 14 knockouts and won the world title with a fourth round TKO over an outclassed Whyber Garcia last October 10 after scoring a 10th round TKO over Jose Rojas to win the interim title on April 17 last year.
An exciting fighter whose fists of fury combine speed and power, Gamboa is a charismatic champion and should Lopez and he both prevail then a mouth-watering bout is in the works possibly for later this year.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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