Juan Manuel Lopez draws Felix Trinidad comparisons
Puerto Rican sensation Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs) admits that he is humbled by comparisons between him and Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad.
"I'm very humbled when people compare me to Felix Trinidad. You know he's my idol and now my good friend. Any comparison you give me to him inside the ring or outside I will take. I'm happy to take comparisons with me and Felix."
Lopez, a southpaw fighter, will take on the tough Rafael Marquez on 6 November at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout will be for the WBO featherweight title. Lopez hopes to maintain his undefeated streak, while Marquez looks to topple the
Ring Magazine No. 2 featherweight after a string of memorable clashes with Israel Vazquez.
Despite national heritage, one of the reasons fans compare Lopez with Trinidad is that both fighters seem graced with the potential to overcome odds in fights and play the role of the 'comeback kid'.
In a career-defining performance, Trinidad was able to rally back from behind in a September 1999 bout with Oscar De la Hoya to win the WBC welterweight title.
Lopez mirrored the effort in July when he took on contender Bernabe Concepcion. In the first round, both fighters managed to rally a knockdown, making it anyone’s fight. In the second, Lopez went to work and ultimately ended the bout by knocking Concepcion
down twice to get the TKO.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum seconded the Trinidad comparisons, saying that like Trinidad, Lopez has a "...great personality and also attracts fans by being so fan-friendly...And ‘Juanma’ has gotten up from knocked down in fights, and he has come back and won."
Should Lopez beat Marquez, many would like to see to take on some of the other formidable opponents of the division, such as current IBF/WBA champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, or Celestino Caballero, whom many say Lopez has unjustly avoided.
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