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Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido II Preview: Tonight on Showtime Championship Boxing, Puerto Rican superstar Juan Manuel Lopez will try to reclaim his W.B.O. featherweight title after being upset by Orlando Salido 11 months ago. In the first bout the cagey brawler Salido, 37-11-2, 25 KO's, won via controversial 8th round KO as a 10-1 betting underdog in an all action war. Leading up to the first bout the highly touted former champ Lopez, 31-1, 28 KO's, was going through a divorce with his wife outside the ropes but was his first pro loss the result of being distracted or was Salido just that good? Below is a closer look at this W.B.O. featherweight championship from a professional handicappers perspective.
The Juan Manuel Lopez vs Orlando Salido Line is Lopez -200 Salido +160
Juan Manuel Lopez: "Juanma" is a southpaw power puncher that likes to get after his foes with two-fisted assaults coming forward. When Lopez gets his opponents going in reverse, his accurate combinations from the wrong side of the plate have a damaging effect to either the head or body. Lopez is a purple hearted pug that has a never say die attitude and his right hook is among the best in the sport. Lopez can be too brave for his own good however and occasionally he will lose his poise and take unnecessary risks. Defensively, Lopez is flawed without much head movement and a tendency to load up on punches. "Juanma" has a decent pair of whiskers but his propensity to gain weight in-between bouts could be reason for his less than stellar stamina which has led to durability issues.
Orlando Salido: The Mexican tough guy Salido likes to get right into his opponents kitchen and impose his will with bombs. Salido's technique is solid with strong fundamentals and the ability to break down opponents with intelligence and painful gut shots. Orlando is not a one-punch KO artist but he has good power in both barrels and his punches come from unusual angles. Salido's corckscrew right hand is heavy and accurate and he sets it up well behind a peek-a-boo stance that hides his chin effectively. Salido was stopped a few times early in his career but at this stage in the paid ranks he has displayed a cast iron jaw. Salido has relatively ordinary athleticism and his style puts him in the line of fire for huge shots. Salido could also be somewhat shopworn with his hectic fighting schedule over his 16-year pro career possibly taking a toll.
Predicted Outcome: This is a 50-50 fight that should be just as entertaining as the first war. Supposedly, Lopez has rekindled his relationship with his wife which could result in a more focused effort but stylistically Salido is a bad fit for him. Lopez is a good fighter but the Top Rank hype machine that considers him the next all-time great is unwarranted. Lopez will be given every opportunity to win fighting in his backyard but his defensive liabilities and lack of handspeed will be his undoing. Salido was dropped a few times in his last bout by a fringe contender which could be an indication of his ring wear but his superior ring generalship and chopping rights will be too much for Lopez. Lopez is not a real cerebral fighter and he is tailor made for a tenacious brawler like Salido who likes to beat guys up in the trenches. Lopez is a "bully" fighter that looks great when his foes cave but a legit tough guy like Salido is the type of man that will not budge under the gun.