In Spanish that translates to "Next in line."
And for a while now, young Juan Manuel Lopez, known by his fans and countrymen as "JuanMa," has assumed the mantle of "The Next Puerto Rican Superstar."
Hailing from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Juan Manuel Lopez made his professional debut on January 29, 2005, a one-round destruction of fellow newcomer Luis Daniel Colon. He has chalked up an additional 24 victories since then, 22 of them coming by way of knockout. And at this time, he has yet to taste defeat. That's right. 25 victories. 23 knockouts. And a big ol' zero in the 'L' column.
The first time I got to watch Lopez was March 3 of 2007. Lopez fought Levi Brea on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Oktay Urkal fight in San Juan. I can admit that I really had no interest in the Lopez-Brea bout when it got started. I was hoping for an early-round stoppage so I could see the beautiful carnage which is Miguel Cotto's relentless body attack in the main event. But just a few seconds into Lopez's bout, I couldn't take my eyes away from the telly. There before me stood a tall southpaw who possessed in his right hook one of the best weapons I had seen in boxing since Micky Ward's left hook to the body.
This junior featherweight fighter was only 15-0 at the time, but his skill set was unbelievable: He was tall with long arms. He moved well in the ring, understanding where his feet were in relation his opponents' and the ropes. He showed complete defense and was an effective counterpuncher. He used his jab to keep his opponent off balance. And once the pitifully overmatched Brea was watching for his jab, Lopez threw his wait-here-til-the-stretcher-comes right hook that knocked Brea down twice in the first round and again in the second, the latter of which causing the referee to halt the proceedings. I was sitting there with my mouth open.The fact that Lopez is a southpaw is only a bonus. You see, conventional fighters stand with their left foot forward and their right shoulder back, meaning the right hand is the main weapon. Conversely, a southpaw does everything backwards. Southpaws stand with their right foot forward and left shoulder back, which makes every punch come from an angle not seen by most boxers. At least 90% of boxers fight in the conventional stance, which means they mostly see their own kind. It normally takes a while for conventional fighters to get their bearings when they find themselves in the ring with a southpaw. And if that southpaw standing before them happens to be Juan Manuel Lopez, they are most likely not going to have enough time to figure it out (Of Lopez's 22 knockouts, 10 of them have come in the first round). So on top of the fact that Lopez is already trouble for other fighters due to his stance, add the fact that Lopez's most prized weapon comes from his lead hand. Conventional fighters jab with their left hand, their "lead hand," if you will, since it is the hand out in front of them, closest to their opponent. Southpaws such as Lopez, staying true to the "everything backward" theory, jab with their right hand. But Lopez adds a twist. He often will open up his shoulder and turn his right jab into a short, powerful right hook, as he did repeatedly with Brea. This changes everything. He not only throws punches from weird angles, he throws a laser-like right hook in place of his jab that consistently finds its way to his opponent's unsuspecting chin. Wham. Sweet dreams.
Lopez went largely unnoticed in the "prospect" category until June 7 of last year, when division champion Daniel Ponce de Leon chose Lopez for his summer title defense. It was a fight that many believed Ponce de Leon would easily handle.
It was also a fight where boxing fans and writers were quick to ask if Lopez was more than just a prized prospect from the boxing-rich island of Puerto Rico. They questioned if he had the mettle to take the belt from a feared slugger like Ponce de Leon. Well... Lopez answered with an emphatic "Yes." All it took was two minutes and 25 seconds into the first round for Lopez to dispose of Ponce de Leon. Ponce de Leon had never been knocked out. Check. He had also never even been knocked down. Check two times. It was a virtuoso performance. A stunning display. Ponce de Leon came out at the bell with all guns firing. He threw punch after punch without getting thru Lopez's brilliant defense. And when Ponce de Leon hesitated for the first time about one minute into the first round... Bang! Right hook. Ponce de Leon lay on the canvas with a look on his face that said What the hell am I doing down here? Just another minute later, he found himself in a similar position, this time for good. Lopez went from prospect to champion in the snap of a finger. Or a flick of the wrist, whichever you prefer.I say "Next in line" because Puerto Rico has had a long, storied history in the sport of boxing. Guys like Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez, Felix "Tito" Trinidad, and now Miguel Cotto have proudly carried the flag of Puerto Rico into the ring. Gomez and Benitez are both in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Trinidad is on his way. Cotto is currently 33-1 and at the top of the loaded welterweight division. Juan Manuel Lopez seems to fall right in line with these greats. Lopez has already shown, and he is only 25, that he has far superior defensive skills than Gomez and Trinidad. He also has much more firepower than Benitez. His KO percentage (92%) bests that of Trinidad (83%), Cotto (82%), and Benitez (58%). Gomez, however, finished his brilliant career with 42 knockout victories out of his 44 tallies (95%). Okay, I can admit... that one may be unattainable. But Lopez stacks up. He is a legitimate contender to be the next "Puerto Rican Great."
Lopez currently fights in the junior featherweight division which is arguably the deepest division in boxing right now. As stated previously below in "It's time to look up to the little men," Israel Vasquez currently sits atop the division, resting on his laurels after the epic trilogy he shared with fellow Mexican Rafael Marquez. Both of those guys have stated they have no interest in fighting Lopez at this time. Panamanian contender Celestino Caballero moved up a weight class to avoid Lopez. The only other high profile challenger is Ponce de Leon, and we all know well that went the first time around. So what is Lopez to do? Well... Vasquez, Marquez, and Caballero cannot avoid him forever. They will have to face him at some point. And my money will be on Lopez. In the meantime, Lopez will fight June 27 against Olivier Lontchi at the Boarkwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, headlining a pay-per-view card.
Next in line? Absolutely. And when it's all said and done, everyone else may have to line up behind the man they call "JuanMa."
