EACH week three members of the Boxing News team ? Web editor Danny Flexen, Reporter Matt Christie and Editorial Assistant John Dennen ? debate one of the weekend?s big fights and attempt to predict the outcome.
We award ourselves three points for naming the correct winner, a bonus point for the method of victory ? stoppage, points etc ? and another for either the round of an early finish or the type of decision (unanimous, split or majority).
Danny and Matt went further ahead in the standings after correctly picking a Curtis Woodhouse stoppage over Stefy Bull last week, but both narrowly missed out on the correct round. John felt tought Stefy would last the course to lose on points. Danny and Matt now have 12 points with JD on eight. This time we try to predict the outcome of Puerto Rican puncher Juan Manuel Lopez?s WBO featherweight title defence against exciting Flipino Bernabe Concepcion. But we also want to know who you?re picking? So hit ?add a comment? below and tell us who is going to win.
Danny Flexen: What do we think of Lopez in terms of where he sits in the pound-for-pound ranks and how far he can go?
John Dennen: He?s knocking on the door if not already up there. No? Matt?s shaking his head.
DF: [Laughs] I think that may be due to his hearing Art Editor Nick Bond telling you Lopez was ?knocking on the door? a few minutes ago.
JD: [Laughs] Yeah you got me. I suppose Lopez needs to beat some bigger names to be taken more seriously but the way he?s been knocking people out, the trail he?s blazed, you know a world champion in two weight divisions, I think he?s on his way if not there yet.
Matt Christie: I think he received a bit too much stick for the hard time he had with Rogers Mtagwa. I think every fighter of that ilk comes across a fighter they just can?t knock out and has a tricky time with them. Mtagwa is a very, very tough guy and Yuri Gamboa?s result against him afterwards [w rsf 2] was an astonishing one. Lopez is a work in progress as Concepcion is, but I think Lopez is closer to the finsihed product and that could prove the difference in this fight.
DF: Yeah, I think Lopez still has a lot to prove but Concepcion?s had more of his flaws exposed. Lopez?s stoppage of Luevano was pretty impressive. When Concepcion fought Luevano their fight was pretty even until Concepcion smashed him after the bell and got disqualified. But the fact he?s not with Freddie Roach anymore is not a good sign and Lopez has looked like something special since he stopped Daniel Ponce De Leon and since then he?s halted fighters like Luevano and Gerry Penalosa. Concepcion is still young but may be as good as he?s going to get.
MC: He is young, 22, and fights in a similar way to Manny Pacquiao but he?s also got the flaws of a younger Pacquiao ? he can be off-balance ? and Lopez can take advantage. Lopez struggles at distance and is far more comfortable inside and because of that, he can take advantage of Concepcion?s balance issues.
DF: Yeah, Concepcion?s arguably like Pacquiao five or six years ago ? balance problems, open when he attacks.
JD: But if Lopez took Mtagwa lightly don?t you think there?s a chance he could take Concepcion lightly, especially as his next fight with Rafael Marquez has already been lined up?
MC: I think that?s a good point about the Marquez fight but I?d be surprised if Lopez takes Concepcion lightly. Mtagwa was more of a style thing ? Mtagwa was far more durable than Lopez would have thought; he was used to people falling over in front of him but Mtagwa just kept coming back.
DF: Concepcion is arguably a harder fight for Lopez than marquez anyway. Marquez is getting old and was a bantamweight not that long ago. Concepcion is fast, switches well from head to body and uses his feet and upper-body well to find angles. He can punch too.
PLACE YOUR BETS
JD: Lopez seems a class above and I think he?s going to win but it?s hard to tell how durable Concepcion is as he?s never been stopped. I think Lopez will become the first to stop him, let?s say the 10th round.
MC: That?s a good pick John.
DF: You can agree with him if you want.
MC: No, I?ll go for Lopez, round nine.
DF: I think Concepcion will get stopped ? he nearly got stopped by mario Santiago in his last fight ? and has been knocked down early in his career. It?ll be a hard round and he?ll probably be knackered by the ninth so, just to be different, I?ll go for the 11th.
