Well fight fans, the highly anticipated fight between Puerto Rican sensation Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 KO's) and Mexican superstar Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KO's) has finally arrived, undoubtedly giving even the casual fan of the sport goose bumps in what will definitely be an all out war.
These two stars of the sport have been expected to butt heads for some time and thanks to the committment of promotors Gary Shaw (Gary Shaw Productions) and Bob Arum (Top Rank Promotions), tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it will also be broadcast LIVE on SHOWTIME Network.
The WBO featherweight title is up for grabs in this scheduled twelve round featured main event.
The undercard features several attractive matchups with Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO's) vs Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KO's) being of special interest having their scheduled twelve round super middleweight bout a SHOWTIME Super Six eliminator.
Talented lightweight Marvin Quintero (20-2-2, 16 KO's) takes on light hitting Daniel Attah (24-6-1, 8 KO's) in a ten round bout that will allow Quintero the chance to show how quickly he can dispatch of an opponent who cannot handle his punching power.
Bernabe Concepcion (28-4-1, 15 KO's) takes on Alejandro Perez (14-2-1, 9 KO's) in a eight round featherweight bout, and the exciting superfeatherweight talent Diego Magdaleno (16-0, 4 KO's) gets a stern test when he accepts the challenge of Derrick Campos (20-9, 11 KO's).
The professional debut of Jesse Magdaleno (younger brother of Diego) who recently signed with Top Rank and Bob Arum to pursue his dream of becoming a professional fighter instead of waiting for his opportunity at Olympic Gold in 2012, makes for an exciting matchup against Matthew Salazar (1-2-1).
Juan Manuel Lopez is a hard punching featherweight who has never been in the ring with a fighter as hard-nosed, experienced, and as dedicated to his sport, as Rafael Marquez.
The Marquez brothers (Juan Manuel and Rafael) will one day have their names cemented in boxing history, as their Hall-of-Fame worthy credentials continue to pile up.
Look for the strength of Lopez a tough nut to crack for Marquez during the first three rounds of this fight, as Lopez has to impose his will early and often in hopes of getting an early start and the victory.
Should the bell ring for the fourth round, the endurance and experience of Rafael Marquez could lead him to victory by either KO or unanimous decision.
Rafael Marquez is smart, experienced, and most importantly always prepared to fight a grinding physical twelve rounds, while the strength and punching ability of Juan Manuel Lopez hasn't allowed an opponent to last with him very long.
William Walker (Denver): "This is the one fight I'm looking forward to enjoying, whoever comes out on top".
Denise Simmons (Lakewood): "Rafael Marquez is my favorite fighter and will win by TKO in round nine".
Stephanie Ornelas (Aurora): "JuanMa is awfully strong, and his knockout percentage makes me see him coming out as the victor tomorrow night. I'm going to see every minute of this fight"!
Special thanks to Anthony Lynn and Alex Bien-Aime of UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND.com for having me as a guest on their boxing show that covers any and every topic concerning amateur boxing.
This particular show recognized the accomplishments of Colorado's "King Louie" Byrd, Ohio's Rau'shee Warren and Florida's Steve Geffard for winning the "Trifecta of amateur boxing", the PAL Nationals, the National Golden Gloves, and the USA Nationals, the three most prestigious amateur boxing events in the country.
Geffard was given the innaugural "FIGHTER OF THE YEAR" award by UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND, an award USA BOXING should have been the first to offer, and now must wipe the entire egg off of their faces.
Stephen Johnson feature writes for INSIDE BOXING.com, UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND.com , and co-hosts INSIDE BOXING LIVE!
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