Showtime got the fight, the rematch with Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez set for March 10th at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Last April, Salido knocked out Lopez and took the featherweight title for a second time. Since then Lopez has been on the comeback, also getting over some domestic issues at home
Top Rank, promoter of the fight and of Lopez had contemplated letting Lopez iron out his own issues. Once, he was one of their highly touted fighters and Bob Arum was looking at an eventual Lopez-Yuriorkis Gamboa main event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. But, Lopez had a setback and Gamboa had other ambitions moving up in weight.
That fight could still happen, but Lopez once again has to prove that he is this world class fighter that can overcome adversity. To Top Rank, this could be a make or break fight for Lopez. He is fighting the Mexican, Salido in his backyard. The issue also, as has been reported, is Lopez wants to train and fight in San Juan so he can be closer to his family.
Apparently that issue has been resolved. Arum is pleased and so is Lopez. The objective is to reclaim the featherweight title and once again take it one step at a time. Arum took this fight to Showtime. It had nothing to do with bitterness or a competitive war of words with HBO. To Arum, Showtime had the appropriate slot and he went with the date that was available, and the network values Lopez as a major fighter on their roster and televised the first fight.
At the press conference in Puerto Rico Tuesday, Lopez said ?This fight is the most important of my career and I will train very hard to regain my title.? In that first fight, Salido put Lopez on the mat in the fifth round and the bout was called in the eighth when Lopez could not punch back. The three judges had the fight even when it was stopped.
However, something seemed to be wrong that night in Puerto Rico. Arum had alluded to Lopez not being as defensive in his prior fights at Madison Square Garden against Rogers Mtagwa in 2009, and in a featherweight title defense over Steve Luevano in 2010.
That was when Arum was leading to a build up for an eventual Lopez and Gamboa fight. But the promoter wanted his two fighters to milk in some more money before they met in the ring. Now, with Lopez fighting to regain a championship, and with Gamboa moving up in weight, the lure and possibility of that fight occurring have went out the window.
Lopez had one fight after the loss to Salido, stopping Mike Oliver in the second round back in October. Lopez said, ?There were no excuses,? referring to the loss. If he loses this time, there will be no more room for excuses?
LATEST ON PACQUIAO: Stop believing that Manny Pacquiao will meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. on that May 5th date. Top Rank has confirmed that Pacquiao will be in the ring again June 9th with one or two opponents. Arum and Pacquiao met last week in the Philippines and the names reportedly mentioned are Miguel Cotto or a third fight with Juan Manuel Lopez.
This does not rule out a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. There continues to be a Mayweather social media war of words. The WBC welterweight champion is barking at Arum and Pacquiao. The sentiment now is Pacquiao avoiding Mayweather, though the culprit and enemy of boxing fans now, is Arum as to why this fight is not taking place.
Top Rank is not denying that the fight will not happen. It is now a matter of the Pacquiao schedule, a proper venue of 40,000 or more where it can be held, and of course the purse issue. Mayweather wants more of the gate and pay-per-view revenue. And, Mayweather has Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, as his third party in the negotiations.
The latest is Schaefer and Arum having minimal communication, if none at all. There is once again bitter feelings with the two who are major principles in getting the fight signed, sealed and delivered. Still, there is enough time to have the fight set for the end of this year, but that would also depend on how much time Mayweather has to prepare after serving his 90-day sentence for domestic violence that was pushed back to June 1.
Mayweather in the meantime has not announced the opponent for May 5th at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. That was supposed to come a few days ago, with speculation it will be Canelo Alverez. Or will it be Cotto, who as of now still has not re-signed a promotional deal with Arum and has expressed an interested in opposing Mayweather? Stay tuned.
THROWING THE PUNCHES: Rule our Amir Khan as an opponent for Mayweather. He will have a mandatory return bout against Lamont Peterson at some point in April or May, at 140, based on the controversy of their December fight that Golden Boy protested. Khan lost his title, even though Peterson is protesting the WBA ruling for the return bout?
According to Lou DiBella, who had two weekly press conferences in New York City, his upcoming middleweight Andy Lee should be in line to get the winner of the Sergio Martinez-Mathew Macklin middleweight fight at Madison Square Garden that takes place on March 17th.
Lee, rated one by the WBO, third by the WBA, and sixth by the WBC, his only loss is to Brain Vera, still has no opponent for his undercard fight on the Martinez card. ?DiBella kicks off a new year of Broadway Boxing this Saturday night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York that is headlined with undefeated NABF light welterweight champion Gabriel Bracero defending against former champion DeMarus Corley?
Have to question WBC awarding Mayweather as ?Comeback Fighter of the year?: for 2011, even if it was one fight and a controversial win over Victor Ortiz?.Eddie Chambers pulls out of his heavyweight fight Saturday against Sergei Liakhovich, injured ribs, which ruined the main event for the NBC Sports Network ?Fight Night? debut show. With a new boxing venture on cable television, you would believe a more appropriate and marketable fight would have been made by Main Events, the promoter?
