JuanMa Lopez vs. Rafa Marquez Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for the WBO Featherweight Title
Fast-rising WBO Featherweight champion defends his title against former champion and pound-for-pound entrant Rafael Marquez in Las Vegas on November 6. This is an intriguing match with many variables at play that could tip it in any direction. Lopez has shown to be one of the more dynamic offensive forces in the game, as 26 knockouts in 29 fights will attest. Marquez has been one of the finer lower-weight fighters of the past decade, but at 35, his time is running out.
Juan Manuel Lopez, 29-0 (26 KOs), Caguas, Puerto Rico. WBO champion
Vs.
Rafael Marquez, 39-5 (35 KOs), Mexico City, Mexico
—-> 
Buy JuanMa vs. Marquez Tickets Here<—-
JuanMa Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez Fight Preview
Let’s get right into it. Most people will favor “Juanma” in this fight and the odds should reflect that. The feeling will be that Marquez is old, battle-worn, and not at his best weight, fighting a peaking young champion in juggernaut form. Perhaps it is a case of Juanma’s more eye-catching offense making a bigger impression, while the less-flashy technical mastery of Marquez is being overlooked a bit.
Marquez is truly one of the finer boxers in the game. Technically, he is extremely solid and well rounded. His 35 knockouts in 39 wins show he knows how to close escrow. Some might say Marquez has slipped back a few notches from his peak, but maybe some people jumped the gun in writing the boxing obituary for the irrepressible ex-champ. In his last bout, a dominating dissection of Israel Vasquez, it seemed that he had a lot of fight left. Is it possible he looked so good because he was juxtaposed against the heavily faded Vasquez? We will soon find out.
Lopez’s climb to the top of the sport is difficult to criticize. He stormed onto the world title scene with three consecutive 1st-round knockouts to underscore his vast potential. For the most part, he has had his way. Hats off to Lopez for being exciting and compelling on his way to the top. He has several big wins and has positioned himself as one of the very top guys in a packed featherweight division.
The Problem with Juanma
Every so often, a fighter comes around and overwhelms his opponents so clearly, that any potential shortcomings are swept under the rug. But make no mistake—Juanma is not invulnerable. We have seen him in some trouble, namely in the Rogers Mtgawa fight, where he was exposed to some degree by a crude and tough fighter with about 2% of Lopez’s natural talent.
While it is dangerous to handicap fights based on a fighter’s worst-ever performance, there are some things that are difficult to ignore. No one is questioning Juanma’s explosiveness, but what about the rest of his game? I don’t like his feet. He seems off-balance a lot of the time. He seems to favor his lead foot too much, which can give him the appearance that he is telegraphing his punches.
I thought the Mtgawa fight exposed a lack of ring IQ on Juanma’s part. Sure, he looked great in all of his front-running blowouts, but when faced with a difficult opponent who did not fold quickly, he seemed out of answers. There were several little adjustments that Juanma could have made in that fight to make it a much easier assignment and he did none of it. Again, one shouldn’t characterize a fighter based on his worst performance. But even during his impressive wipeout of Bernabe Concepcion, he got floored as a result of some of these things we’re talking about here.
The Problem with Marquez
Considering how over-the-hill Vasquez looked in their last fight, Marquez hasn’t really scored a good win since 2006—when he beat top bantamweight Silence Mabuza. While the Marquez-Vasquez series was one of the most stirring in the game’s history, Marquez still lost twice to Vasquez. Vasquez in his prime was very well rounded and a completely different challenge than the one Juanma presents. Still, those losses are a point of concern.
It’s 2010, and it seems to require a small leap-of-faith to consider Marquez as being anywhere near his peak. A longtime bantamweight, Marquez fought the Vasquez series at 122 and now here is as a featherweight. I don’t see it as a big problem and even though Juanma will have a little edge in size, Marquez shouldn’t be bowled over on account of the size difference. You just have to wonder if all the tough fights have caught up to Marquez. It didn’t show against Vasquez, but this is a far more difficult fight, where any depreciation on Marquez’s part will surely manifest.
JuanMa vs. Marquez Prediction
It would not be surprising if the power, speed, and youthful energy of Juanma is too much for a fading Marquez. It’s not terribly difficult to imagine the whirlwind offense of the young champion taking Marquez out of the fight. Why am I imagining a different scenario the closer we get to fight night?
I expect Marquez to really surprise a lot of people. I think everyone has written him off prematurely. They have reason. After all, the Vasquez trilogy and a decade at the top level is enough to finish most fighters. At the same time, maybe his inactive schedule over the past few years has left him a bit refreshed. It sure seemed like it in May when he chopped up Vasquez.
I picture Juanma having problems getting the same response from Marquez that he gotten from the far less experienced and capable fighters he has been facing. What worked against Bernabe Concepcion and Steven Luevano might not go over so big against Marquez. Rafael is a thinking man’s fighter. He will be able to see what is coming. Juanma is fast, but a true veteran with technical expertise like Marquez will be able to steel himself and defend. Marquez is one of the game’s best counterpunchers (at least he was) and he should have ample opportunity to return fire in this match.
I see Juanma putting a few rounds in the bag early, as Marquez gets adjusted. When he does, I expect him to begin countering Juanma, who will become less gung-ho in his overall attack. Marquez’s power will begin to bloom. Juanma does not have the defense, powers of improvisation, balance, and perhaps the chin to hold off Marquez for 12 rounds.
In a massive upset, I like Marquez to knock out the undefeated young champion sometime around the 9th or 10th round.
Prediction: Rafael Marquez wins the WBO Featherweight Title by knockout.
