Not that long ago, Juan Manuel Lopez was considered the heir apparent to great Puerto Rican fighters of the past and present — Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez, Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. And when he blitzed Daniel Ponce de Leon in one round in 2008, it seemed like Lopez had indeed become a member of that very exclusive club.
But, even in his most celebrated moment, Lopez’s weaknesses were there for all to see. First, he was too easily lured into a slugfest; second, his chin was suspect. Ultimately, after years of living on the edge and engaging inferior opponents in sometimes unnecessary wars of attrition, his flaws proved fatal, and he was knocked out twice by underdog Orlando Salido in sensational fights.
Now, suddenly, Lopez’s career is on the line. No longer an undefeated phenom, it is Lopez who is now viewed as a battle-scarred veteran. And he will be staring down long odds when he takes on boxing’s newest hotshot, undefeated Mikey Garcia, for his old WBO featherweight title at American Airlines Center in Dallas (8:45 p.m. today, HBO).
Rivalry
Garcia, 31-0 (26 knockouts), lives in Oxnard, Calif., and is of Mexican descent. And, if the Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry has told us anything, it’s that when national pride is on the line, conventional wisdom often takes a beating. But, to win, “Juanma”, 33-2 (30 KOs), would have to completely overhaul his philosophy.
An undisciplined attack against a sharpshooter like Garcia would Advertisement be pugilistic suicide. After beating Ponce de Leon, Lopez destroyed four straight overmatched opponents. But, it may have given the native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, a false sense of security, as he habitually left himself open and vulnerable. What followed were life-and-death struggles with Rogers Mtagwa (W 12), Bernabe Concepcion (TKO 2) and Rafael Marquez (TKO 8) — all fighters he probably should have defeated more convincingly had he not been so reckless.
Then he ran into Salido, a tough, seasoned veteran who refused to succumb to Lopez’s younger fists. Both fights were vicious, and both may have aged the 29-year-old southpaw.
Meanwhile, Garcia had little trouble picking the slower Salido apart for the WBO 126-pound title when they met in January at Madison Square Garden. His performance was as efficient as it was brutal. The younger brother of former junior lightweight champion and 2012 “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia, Mikey is a smooth, crisp-punching technician who does just about everything right. Raised and nurtured around boxing, Garcia, 25, conducts himself as though the ring is his office. And he is not rattled by much.
Though the Salido fight was officially his first world-title fight, it was as though Garcia was the established champion. And he let it be known that he is going to be very, very difficult to unseat.
Go with Mikey
Lopez’s only chance is to use his legs and show Garcia a slew of angles and lateral movement early on. If Garcia has shown any vulnerability, it’s that he can be a bit mechanical and could potentially be bothered by a speedy boxer. Once Lopez begins to pump his right jab, he could start unleashing his arsenal. And if he connects, look out, because Lopez can still punch like a mule. Garcia’s chin would be severely tested.
But, as he’s shown in the past, Juanma doesn’t seem capable of sustaining a disciplined fight plan. At heart, he is a slugger, which is great for the fans, but bad for him, especially when he’s fighting a machine like Garcia.
This looks better on paper than it will in the ring.
Garcia by eighth-round TKO.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewAguilar5
