Orlando Salido shocks JuanMa with 8th round stoppage

ORLANDO SALIDO SHOCKS JUANMA LOPEZ WITH

EIGHTH ROUND TKO TO CLAIM WBO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE

IN ALL ACTION THRILLER

Luis Cruz Outpoints Martin Honorio via Unanimous Decision to Remain Undefeated

Catch the Replay on Tuesday, April 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME

BAYAMON, P.R. (April 17, 2011) – After thirty fights of stunning crowds with his ability to neglect defense and always come back to score the victory, Juan Manuel Lopez’ streak ended. Orlando Salido captured the WBO Featherweight Championship via eighth-round technical knockout (referee stoppage) after connecting with countless right hands including one that landed “JuanMa” on the canvas in the fifth round. In the co-featured bout, Luis Cruz claimed a unanimous decision over Martin Honorio with the scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 96-94 from Ruben Rodriguez Coliseo in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

At first it seemed like nothing new for the 27-year-old, charismatic Puerto Rican.

After Lopez (30-1, 27 KOs) won the first several rounds, Salido (35-11-2, 23 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, roared back by coming forward, bringing pressure and landing his right hand to the hard head of Lopez. In a flurry of punches between both fighters in the fifth, Salido landed a solid left hook followed by a hellacious right that sent JuanMa to the ground. Visibly staggered, Lopez called upon his warrior determination to return to his feet before the ten count and endure the dwindling seconds of the round.

Admitting to the severity of the knockdown, Lopez simply stated after the fight, “The punch in the fifth round hurt.”

The lingering effects of Salido’s monstrous right hand pushed JuanMa into survival mode throughout the sixth as Salido looked to end the night, but Lopez was able to miraculously hang on. By the seventh, the 10,115 loyal fans in attendance were on their feet and screaming at the top of their lungs as they witnessed their champion come back to life with a another signature gutsy performance.

But then the storyline changed.

Instead of Lopez springing from his corner in the eighth to knockout his opponent, it was Salido who charged into the round with a renewed sense of urgency to end the fight. Although Lopez was able to sporadically retaliate, Salido was landing the much cleaner, harder shots and Lopez was once again wobbling around the ring. The wobbling and lack of punching efficiency proved to be too much for referee Roberto Ramirez Jr. as he stopped the slugfest at 1:39 of round eight.

The stoppage surprised – and angered – many in attendance, as the boos were following by flying beer and water bottles from the pro-Lopez crowd. Lopez echoed the crowd’s displeasure with the ref’s ruling. “[Salido] was hitting me but [Ramirez Jr.] shouldn’t have stopped the fight,” said Lopez. “I was still conscious.”

For safety purposes, Rodriguez was walked out of the arena by a team of police escorts.

Proudly hoisting up his belt after the fight, the new champion said, “I came very prepared to fight the No. 1 featherweight in the world. I think the fight was going pretty evenly through the first five rounds but I knew I had to pressure [Lopez] because we were in his hometown.”

After considering the bout’s thrilling nature and competitive spirit, promoter Bob Arum informed the media at the post-fight press conference that he fully planned to schedule a rematch between Lopez and Salido in the fall.

In the night’s opening attraction, the Puerto Rican rising prospect Cruz (18-0, 14 KOs), of Philadelphia by way of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, made his case for contender status with a solid unanimous decision over Honorio (29-6-1, 15 KOs), of Mexico City. Although the fight was closer than the hometown scoring (110-90, 98-92, 96-94) from hometown judges (Raul Nieves, Nelson Vazquez, Carlos Colon) would indicate, Cruz silenced any critics pointing to a lack of quality opposition on his resume. Honorio, a late replacement for Roman "Rocky" Martinez who withdrew after suffering a lower back injury in training, has shared the ring with many former and current champions and owns a collection of upsets throughout his career.

The first round saw the two fighters feel each other out before each man found his rhythm, with Cruz scoring on big single shots and Honorio punching in volume to make his mark. In an action-packed sixth round, the two exchanged several power shots with Cruz landing big left hooks and uppercuts and Honorio scoring with the right hand.

As the 10-round junior lightweight clash settled back down, a sense of confidence and poise came over Cruz who proved to himself that he could handle prizefighting at the next level. Although the scores were more lopsided than some may have believed, Cruz earned a hard-fought unanimous decision in his coming-out party as a legitimate contender.

The doubleheader was promoted by Top Rank, Inc. The telecast will replay on Tuesday, April 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available On Demand from April 19 through May 2.

Gus Johnson called the action from ringside with Al Bernstein providing color commentary and Jim Gray serving as ringside reporter. David Dinkins Jr. is the Executive Producer of SHOWTIME Sports® with Chuck McKean producing and Bob Dunphy directing.

*Photo Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

Video: Juan Manuel Lopez at his hometown gym

Video: Juan Manuel Lopez Highlights

Juan Manuel Lopez & Bob Arum SHOWTIME Conference Call Highlights

"With all due respect to Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon – two great champions – I feel that I’m the most popular boxer in Puerto Rico . 

– Juan Manuel Lopez

Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum participated in media conference call on Friday to discuss Lopez’s upcoming title defense against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) 126-pound champ Orlando “Siri” Salido, on Saturday, April 16, live on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

 

The exciting, hard-hitting Lopez (30-0, 27 KOs), of San Juan , P.R., is a two-division world champion who’ll be making his third WBO title defense. The talented southpaw is coming off an excellent eighth-round TKO over Mexico’s boxing legend and future Hall of Famer, Rafael Marquez, in a tense give-and-take slugfest last Nov. 6 on SHOWTIME. Lopez, 27, has knocked out 90 percent of his opponents.

 

Salido (34-11-2, 22 KOs), 30, of Ciudad Obregon , Mexico , is more dangerous than his record would indicate. In his last start, he scored a knockdown and went the distance against power-punching WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa on Sept. 11, 2010. The points loss came one start after he registered two knockdowns en route to winning a decision and the then-vacant IBF title over Cristobal Cruz.   

 

The fight will originate from Ruben Rodriguez Coliseo in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and is promoted by Top Rank, Inc.

 

Here’s what Lopez and Arum had to say on Friday:

 

ARUM:  “JuanMa Lopez is one of the great fighters in the sport today.  He has another tough test on April 16 when he fights Orlando Salido, who is one of the top featherweights in the world. I know that many of you have followed the progress of JuanMa Lopez as he has gotten better and better and he matures as both a person and a fighter.  JuanMa is one of the great stars in boxing today and one of the most exciting fighters around.”

 

LOPEZ:  “I’m very happy to be in this fight with SHOWTIME. I’m very happy and I’m ready to go. 

 

“I feel really good. We had our seven day weigh in today and I came in at 130 (pounds).  I feel great – it’s been a real good camp.  We did all we needed to do and we’re right there at weight. 

 

“Usually going into this week I weigh one or two more pounds than I did today. That just shows you how hard we’re working and how good we’ve done with training. We’re a little surprised that we came in this low. 

 

Juan, do you want to have a better performance against Salido than Gamboa did? 

LOPEZ:  “I don’t think about it that way.  Every opponent is tough, every opponent is different.  We’re all different fighters.  To me, it’s just what I can do. I certainly want to look good and I want to do as well as I can, but I don’t want to compare myself to what he did and what I’m going to do.”

 

Juan, do you not like when people compare your victory over Rogers Mtagwa to Gamboa’s victory over Mtagwa? 

LOPEZ:  “People can say or think what they want about those fights and they’re going to do the same with what I do against Salido and what he did against Salido.  It’s not that important. I think what’s important is once we get in the ring – we’ll see how we do against each other.”   

 

Gamboa said that Top Rank is going to wait to make the fight (Gamboa-Lopez) because Juan doesn’t have what it takes to beat him.  Juan, did you hear him say that?

LOPEZ:  “We’re just fighters. I don’t think we’re afraid of each other. I’m not afraid of fighting Gamboa anytime he’s there.  We never said we wouldn’t fight him.  Bob Arum, he’s our promoter.  He’s the best.  He’ll tell us when the fight is ready.”

 

Is there anything about JuanMa that has surprised you?  Has he exceeded your expectations?

ARUM:  “The thing that makes him so special is how fan friendly he is.  How he lights up a room, how the fans drift to him. There’s nobody better as far as the Puerto Rican fans are concerned.  The Puerto Ricans have embraced JuanMa similar to the way they did with Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.  When you put a very popular Puerto Rican, a real top Puerto Rican, on a pay-per-view card you can count on tremendous numbers of buys from the island. That’s why we did so well in the Cotto-Mayorga fight – because we had 55,000 Puerto Rican households buy that fight.  JuanMa is quickly getting a fan base where he will be able to reach those numbers.”

 

JuanMa, what do you know about Salido.  What kind of fight do you expect?

LOPEZ:  “He’s one of those fighters that comes forward.  He won’t stop when you put on the pressure. He’ll be there all night.  I have to be intelligent.  I have to know that he’s going to be coming at me at all times.  I just have to be very smart and be careful and do my job – win every round and win round by round.”

 

Are there any opponents that you could compare to Salido?

LOPEZ:  “I think (Gerry) Penalosa was the same kind of fighter – a guy that came forward and was there all night and was a very strong fighter.  The only difference was he was lefthanded.”

 

JuanMa, who was your favorite Puerto Rican fighter growing up and is it important for you to be considered one of the best fighters from Puerto Rico ?

LOPEZ:  “I know the great tradition that there is in Puerto Rico with the boxers. I’m very proud to be part of that tradition. Without a doubt, growing up my idol and still is Felix Trinidad.” 

 

Bob, congrats on being in boxing 45 years.  What are the biggest differences now in the sport?

ARUM:  “Well, you have to understand when I first started in the sport in the mid-‘60s there were no satellites – no international satellites, no domestic satellites.  So the communication, we would look at it as being in the dark ages. When we did a closed circuit fight it was a whole different business model because of how limited we were in communication.  Now, we have all of the satellites, we have pay-per-view, we have stuff that no one even contemplated 45 years ago.  In the next 10 or 15 years people will be buying a pay-per-view fight on their iPad.  They won’t only be buying it on their iPad but they’ll be electing which corner to watch between rounds and which camera angle to watch a fight from.  Everything changes yet everything stays the same because, ultimately, it’s two guys in the ring facing off against each other.”

 

Do you see any comparisons between the first Leonard-Hearns fight and a potential fight between Gamboa and Lopez? 

ARUM:  “Everyone likes that comparison because the first Leonard-Hearns fight was such a tremendous event.  There had been such anticipation over the years because they both fought other people.  I believe if this could be even 50 percent of the excitement which we went into with the Leonard-Hearns fight I would be very grateful.”

 

JuanMa, you had some scary moments with Marquez in your last fight and Salido is a pretty decent puncher. Can you afford to continue to be reckless? 

LOPEZ:  “Every fight you have to adapt to whatever is happening in the ring.  With Marquez, I did what I needed to do and with Salido I’ll do what I need to do.  Everybody knows that I love to engage and if that’s what I have to do then that’s what I’ll do.  I’m young, I’m strong and I’m ready for whatever he brings.”

 

JuanMa, if the Gamboa fight isn’t ready yet for pay-per-view do you feel that your body can wait or do you feel like you’ll have to move up soon to 130?

LOPEZ:  “I don’t think I have a lot of time here at 126.  I think if the fight comes along this year it will be at 126, if it doesn’t I think it will be at 130 next year.”

 

After the tremendous fight against Marquez, are you able to walk the streets in Puerto Rico or are you mobbed with autographs? 

LOPEZ:  “It’s hard for me to move anywhere in Puerto Rico . It takes a lot longer to get things done that I want to get done.  People are always talking to me, always stopping me, but you just always go with the flow.  With all due respect to Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon – two great champions – I feel that I’m the most popular boxer in Puerto Rico .”

 

JuanMa, is there any chance that you feel like you could experience a letdown against Salido?

LOPEZ:  “I know how important every fight is for my career and I’m going to be at my best no matter who the opponent is.  I believe that Salido is going to give me a real tough fight.  I know how good he is and I know that I have to be well-prepared to beat him.”

 

“I just want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for all the support they’ve given me. I hope they watch the fight.  I think it will be a great fight and I hope they enjoy it. 

 

Gus Johnson will call the action from ringside with Al Bernstein providing color commentary and Jim Gray serving as ringside reporter. David Dinkins Jr. is the executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports^® with Chuck McKean producing and Bob Dunphy directing.   

 

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

  

*Photo credit: Top Rank Boxing/ Jose Perez

"JuanMa" Lopez Faces Orlando Salido in Headliner of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Doubleheader on April 16

WBO FEATHERWEIGHT KINGPIN JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ

TO DEFEND AGAINST EX-CHAMP ORLANDO SALIDO

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, LIVE ON SHOWTIME^®

 

Top Puerto Rican Contenders Luis Cruz and Roman Martinez Clash in Co-Feature

Live at 10:30 p.m. ET From Ruben Rodriguez Coliseo in Bayamon , Puerto Rico

 

NEW YORK (April 1, 2011) – Unbeaten Juan Manuel “Juanma’’ Lopez has caught the attention of most everybody in boxing with his exciting, explosive style and unwavering charisma.  Following in the footsteps of his countrymen like Puerto Rican superstars Felix Trinidad, Wilfred Benitez and Miguel Cotto, Lopez has been virtually unstoppable as he’s compiled a record of 30-0 with 27 knockouts.

 

On Saturday, April 16, Lopez, of San Juan, returns to SHOWTIME® to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) 126-pound belt-holder Orlando “Siri’’ Salido (34-11-2, 22 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, in the main event live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

 

In an excellent co-feature from  Ruben Rodriguez Coliseo in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, undefeated Luis Cruz (17-0, 14 KOs), of Philadelphia by way of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, will take on fellow world-ranked Puerto Rican and former WBO champion Roman “Rocky’’ Martinez (24-1-1, 15 KOs), of Vega Baja, in a 12-round junior lightweight bout. Top Rank, Inc. will promote the doubleheader. 

 

The 27-year-old Lopez, a two-division world champion, is coming off the most significant win of his career, an eighth-round TKO over Mexico’s boxing legend and future Hall of Famer, Rafael Marquez, in a tense give-and-take slugfest last Nov. 6 on SHOWTIME.  The victory came in the crowd-pleasing, powerful southpaw’s second title defense and third fight at 126 pounds. 

 

Lopez came away victorious after Marquez, who was vying for a world title in his third weight division,  could not answer the bell after the eighth round due to a shoulder injury. Despite a point deduction in the fourth, Lopez was ahead by the scores of 78-73, 77-73 and 77-74.

A five-year pro, Lopez made five successful defenses of the WBO 122-pound title before abandoning the division to challenge WBO 126-pound champion Steven Luevano on Jan. 28, 2010.

 

If triumphant on April 16, Lopez could be looking at several possible compelling matchups, but he isn’t underestimating the challenger.

 

"I expect a very tough fight against a strong fighter like Salido, who is a true warrior,’’ Lopez said.  “But at the end of the day, I will be victorious and will give my Puerto Rican fans a fight to remember."

 

An aggressive power-puncher who has knocked out 90 percent of his opponents, Lopez may not remain at 126 pounds for much longer. He recently stated he intends to move up to 130 pounds after two more fights – the defense against Salido and a possible rematch with Marquez. 

 

“I really feel strong at 126,” Lopez said. “I’m eating well. I’m doing my diet the proper way. I definitely feel better than I did at 122 and I’m much stronger. But I may be moving up after the end of the year.” 

 

Salido dropped defending champion Cristobal Cruz twice en route to winning a resounding decision and the IBF featherweight crown on May 15, 2010, in Ciudad Obregon . A convincing points victory – 117-109 twice and 116-110 – came in a rematch of a fight for the vacant IBF belt won by Cruz via split decision by the scores of 116-112 twice and 113-115 on Oct. 23, 2008, in Spokane , Wash.  

 

In his last start, Salido lost a decision to his WBA counterpart, Yuriorkis Gamboa, in a wild knockdown affair on Sept. 11, 2010, in Las Vegas . Salido dropped Gamboa in the eighth, but went down twice himself in the 12^th. At the finish, Gamboa had survived by the scores of 114-109, 115-109 and 116-109.

 

Salido, who turned pro at the tender age of 16 in March 1996, also went the distance while losing a decision to pound-for-pound mainstay and then-World Boxing Association (WBA)/IBF featherweight kingpin,, Juan Manuel Marquez – Rafael’s brother – in September 2004. 

 

"It’s never easy to fight in a champion’s backyard, but I will give it my all to win and bring the belt back to Mexico ,” said Salido, who’ll be making his sixth appearance in a world title fight. “I know one thing, Lopez is a great champion who likes to fight and with my style it should make for a great and exciting fight."

 

The 25-year-old, hard-hitting Cruz is ranked No. 11 by the IBF at 130 pounds and has won six in a row by knockout, including a TKO 2 over Wilfredo Acuna in his most recent start last Dec. 4, and 11 of his last 12 inside the distance. Cruz has gone the route only three times since turning professional in March 2007. The furthest he’s gone is 10 rounds.

 

But Cruz will be getting his sternest challenge to date against Martinez, the WBO’s No. 3-ranked contender whose only setback came in his last start on a close nod to local favorite Ricky Burns in an explosive, hotly contested match on Sept. 4, 2010, in Glasgow, Scotland.

 

The 28-year-old Martinez scored a knockdown in the first and won the early rounds, but Burns rallied to earn a victory after 36 minutes of gripping action by the scores of 115-113 and 115-112 twice.

 

Martinez captured the WBO belt in March 2009 with a fourth-round TKO over Nicky Cook in Manchester , England , and made two successful defenses in Puerto Rico . He scored a ninth-round TKO over Feider Viloria in September 2009 and stopped Gonzalo Munguia in the fourth in May 2010.

 

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.