Juan Manuel Lopez looks to dethrone veteran Rafael Marquez
Showtime boasts one of the most anticipated fights of the year Saturday, with undefeated featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs) taking on veteran Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) for the WBO title.
Originally set for September 18, the fight was pushed back when Marquez was involved in a car door accident that resulted in an injured thumb. But now both fighters are ready to go, and it’s well worth considering some likely outcomes.
In certain respects, these guys couldn’t be coming from more different places. Though they're both two of the best featherweights today, Lopez is arguably in the prime of his stride, while Marquez is looking to show the world why he’s still fighting and
on top of the division.
For Marquez, an added incentive is that a win would award him his third title in as many weight classes. But getting it won’t be easy.
Lopez, for one, is coming off a slew of memorable victories. In June 2008 he demolished Daniel Ponce de Leon in a single round, winning the belt at 122 pounds. That belt, the WBO super bantamweight title, was successfully defended five times, none of which
were more exciting that a bout with Roger Mtagwa in October 2009. Lopez, while earning a win, was seriously tested and showed he could rally up a convincing victory even in face of unexpected danger.
After the tester, Lopez moved up to 126 pounds in January, featherweight, and easily put down WBO titlist Steven Luevana in the seventh round. Then in July he touched gloves with the formidable Bernabe Concepcion, and to the surprise of some, was able to
halt him in just the second round (after being knocked down in the first). The bout showed Lopez can be shaken, but more importantly it demonstrated further that he is perhaps most dangerous when pushed against the wall.
At 35, Marquez is a sizable eight years older than Lopez, and shorter. Marquez reigned 118 pounds from 2003 to 2006, with memorable wins over Tim Austin and Silence Mabuza. Sparks really started to fly routinely when he ran into Israel Vazquez in the super
bantamweight category, as the three had three spectacular fights. Vazquez took the last two. However, Marquez had the opportunity to even the score earlier this year, and didn’t miss it.
Marquez likewise kept busy between a second and third fight with Vazquez, with a win over Jose Francisco Mendoza in May 2009.
One difference between these two guys is that Marquez hasn’t been as active as Lopez, in part because of the wars in which he’s participated. Since Marquez-Vazquez III, Marquez has fought only two times, which amounts to only six rounds in the ring. On
the other hand, in the same period of time, Lopez has fought eight times.
In terms of speed and power, both have it, as well as the capacity to take a shot. What this means is that the fight can really go a few ways. A surprise knockdown or even knockout can’t be ruled out, but neither can a bout going the whole distance.
Because Lopez hasn’t been in as many wars as Marquez, he looks to have the advantage, and is the betting favourite. It is likely he will able to use his freshness to outpoint the older Marquez, and possibly even score a mid-fight TKO.
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