In this highly anticipated match up that pits the fast rising Puerto Rican southpaw star of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Juan Manuel Lopez 29-0 (26 KO?s), against the sure to be Hall of Famer in Rafael Marquez of Distrito Federal, Mexico City, you can throw away any type of veteran advantage for Marquez, as Lopez fights with a poise and effectiveness like he?s been around for some time.
Entering the ring with KO percentages of 89.66% for Lopez, and 79.55% for Marquez, in a fight between two pugilists who very rarely if ever take a backwards step, you can bet on a head on collision taking place with the likely result being a KO victory for one or the other. It?s very difficult to imagine this one going to the scorecards.
A major question surrounding this fight is what does Marquez have left after 15 years of professional boxing, with an accumulated record of 39-5 (35 KO?s), and at least 60 amateur fights before that. At 35 years of age, Marquez has not been very busy as of late. This will be his second fight of 2010 coming off a thumb injury, and previous to 2010 he has fought only 5 times since 2006. Of course two of those previous five fights were Ring Magazine Fights of the year against Israel Vasquez. Could this be another candidate for fight of the year, or could those give and take grueling bouts with Vasquez have taken some of the steam out of the Mexican warrior and leave him vulnerable to the non stop attack and relentless style of the younger Lopez?
In breaking down the combatants, Juan Manuel Lopez is a southpaw, and earlier in the career of Rafael Marquez he faced two of the world?s premier southpaws. He faced Mark ?Too Sharp? Johnson, undefeated in 11 years previous to facing Marquez in their first of two bouts in 2001, and then Tim Austin in 2003, who had successfully defended his IBF Featherweight title 9 times.
Marquez knocked out Mark ?Too Sharp? Johnson for a decisive win in their 2002 return bout, after a somewhat controversial decision in their first meeting, and then wrested the IBF Featherweight Title belt from Tim Austin in 2003. Even back then in facing world class type opposition, they were give and take battles for Marquez, who has visibly lost a step or two since that time. Not only is Marquez not as light on his feet as he once was, but his reflexes are not what they once had been either. He just doesn?t have the same hand or foot speed, which may not necessarily earn him a defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Lopez, but it remains to be seen if he can keep pace, especially if it goes into the mid or late rounds.
As for Juan Manuel Lopez, he?s all business in the ring, preferring to set up camp on the inside, although he can box from outside as well. Banging all the way, Lopez tucks his chin superbly, usually dictating and controlling the pace of his fights with a relentless style that will not allow Marquez to rest. Lopez possesses a superior focus wherein which he is able to follow the movement of his adversaries and punch in between his opponents punches, demonstrating phenomenal infighting capabilities. The Puerto Rican champion has the uncanny ability to throw a punch at long range, and then in combi
