A defeat within the realm of professional boxing should not mark the end of an elite fighter’s career. Instead,a loss, no matter how stunning, or unexpected, should serve as an opportunity for a boxer to learn from mistakes, adjust, and show that they have true class as puglisit.
In the 48 hours following Puerto Rican featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez’s stoppage loss to veteran Mexican Orlando Salido, it is clear that Lopez has learned nothing from his first defeat.
Going into a fight within his homeland of Puerto Rico, and as a heavy favorite, Lopez was knocked down in the fifth round and then peppered by Salido for a few more rounds before the action was stopped.
Within boxing’s inner-circles, there have been whispers that Lopez ballons up in weight between fights and that his body might no longer make the featherweight limits in a comfortable manner.
Instead of moving up in weight to super featherweight after a defeat, it has been reported today that Lopez intends to fight Salido in a rematch this fall at the featherweight limit, again.
Lopez, who has all the leverage in any negotiation for a rematch – being that he is a bigger star than Salido and the Mexican needs him more – he could easly ask Salido to move up for a re-try at super featherweight.
Instead, Lopez plans to move up in weight next year, following a potential rematch.
In fights against Salido, Rafael Marquez, and Bernabe Concepcion, Marquez has been tagged with big punches, frequently and easly. It is clear to any close follower of the sweet science that Lopez needs to tighten up his defense.
Instead of making changes to him training team, or adding a new face to deal with technical deficincies, Lopez today stated that his team will stay as is going into the future.
With little or no changes in his game plan, Lopez hopes that mere focus will propel him to victory against Salido in a future rematch – a trap many past fighters have fallen to, over and over again.
