By James Slater: Unbeaten Puerto Rican sensation Juan Manuel Lopez, already having captured titles at 122 and 126-pounds, says he will move up again in 2012 as he searches for more glory. Speaking on Fightnews.com, 27-year-old “Juanma,” currently in the early days of getting ready for his WBO featherweight title defence against Orlando Salido, said he has two fights set at 126, and that after that he will move to 130.
“We have two fights at 126, Orlando Salido and a rematch with Rafael Marquez,” he said. “I hope to go to 130 pounds in 2012.”
Lopez is expected to beat Salido, as experienced and as tough as the Mexican is, and a return with Mexican legend Marquez has been talked about before. Lopez and Marquez put of a very good fight late last year; one that was slightly tarnished due to Marquez’ decision to remain on his stool after the 8th-round due to a serious shoulder injury. The loser said he felt the fight would have become a classic had his shoulder not gone out, forcing him to retire. Now it seems the two will do it again and we may yet get that classic.
Assuming Lopez does get past Salido on April 16th in Puerto Rico and then Marquez when the rematch takes place (if it actually does, and it seems it will even though Marquez is out of action right now due to that running injury he picked up) – will he then face the man we all want him to, in Yuriorkis Gamboa?
This fight, between two rival featherweight titlists who both happen to be undefeated and damned exciting to watch, has been in the works for months now. But Lopez spoke of two fights at 126 before a hopeful move up to 130 next year. Does “Juanma” visualise his big fight with the super-fast Cuban taking place up at super-featherweight? From a fan standpoint, as long as the fight happens it doesn’t matter which weight class it goes ahead in.
Lopez NEEDS to fight Gamboa and vice versa.
Gamboa, the “regular” WBA champ at 126 as well as the IBF ruler at the weight, meets Jorge Solis on March 26th, and after that (assuming he comes through the fight at Atlantic City unscathed) there is a possibility he will face “real” WBA featherweight champ Chris John. If all goes well for Gamboa there, he too may then wish to move up in weight; especially if Lopez has left the 126-pound ranks behind him.
Lopez spoke recently of his long term plan of one day getting as high as the 140-pound division. Gamboa too sees himself as a future multi-weight champion. Still, despite how many titles each guy goes on to win, fans will not feel satisfied until they’ve rumbled with one another. But can both warriors remain unbeaten until that potentially awesome showdown actually takes place?