World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO (37-11-2, 25 KOs), from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, and former WBO featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL “Juanma” LOPEZ (31-1, 28 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, took part in a news conference on Tuesday to announce their World Featherweight Championship rematch.
The news conference was attended by San Juan Mayor JORGE SANTINI and took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the Museo de Vida Silvestre.
“I am very happy to have this very important show in our city,” Santini said. “We know how good Orlando Salido is but we are also are very confident that Juanma will be at his best and will regain his world championship.”
Lopez-Salido II will take place Saturday, March 10, and will be televised live from Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, P.R. on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) The SHOWTIME telecast will open with undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender MIKEY GARCIA (27-0, 23 KOs), from Oxnard, Calif., risking his record and rating as well as his impending world title shot in a 10-round featherweight battle against an opponent to be announced.
Here are what the fighters had to say on Tuesday:
ORLANDO SALIDO:
“I expect a very different fight. I know he will be better then last time.
“But I don’t see him changing much. He might try in the beginning to fight in a different style but he will come back to his strengths. He is going to feel that he is the better and stronger man, and that he is not.
“I want to show that my first win was not a fluke. I came back to fight in Puerto Rico because he gave the opportunity to me to fight for a world championship here and I have never had any problem winning in an opponents’ home base.”
JUANMA LOPEZ:
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to fight in the Roberto Clemente Coliseum where my idol Tito Trinidad had so many fights and this is a dream come true for me.
“I want to thank Salido for coming back to Puerto Rico and giving me this opportunity. I knew Salido was a tough fighter and he came prepared and beat me and I offered no excuses.
“This fight is the most Important of my career and I will train very hard to regain my title.
On changes he will make in this fight:
“We will make changes for this fight like all fights. But I don’t want to give too many specifics. Most importantly against Salido I have to be intelligent inside the ring.
“I don’t see him changing at all. He won his first fight with me and I’ve seen his last two fights before that. He’s going to fight the same style.
“You have to be smart and use your boxing skills. That is the only way to beat Salido. I learned that in our first fight.”
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing Promotion, Zanfer Promotions and the city of San Juan, tickets to Lopez-Salido II go on sale today. Priced at $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at www.tcpr.com or by phone charge by calling Ticket Center at (787) 792-5000.
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World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO and former WBO featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL “Juanma” LOPEZ will finally square off for their World Featherweight Championship rematch, Saturday, March 10. Their battle will be televised live from Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, P.R. on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) If the rematch is anything like their first rumble, more than palm trees will be swaying when these two warriors start throwing. The SHOWTIME telecast will open with undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender MIKEY GARCIA risking record and rating as well as his impending world title shot in a 10-round featherweight battle.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing Promotion, Zanfer Promotions and the city of San Juan, tickets to Lopez-Salido II go on sale Today! Tuesday, January 17. Priced at $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at www.tcpr.com or by phone charge by calling Ticket Center at (787) 792-5000.
“The stakes are high for the heated rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “There is no predictability in this rematch as the first fight showed…. Anything can happen!”
“SHOWTIME has made a name for itself by televising the most competitive fights in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “This match-up is not only competitive, but explosive as well. Add the intensity of the Puerto Rican fan base at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum and you have a recipe for a sports spectacle. Boxing fans have been asking for this rematch since last April, and we’re happy to give them what they want.”
“I shocked the world last year with my win, but when I do it again no one will be surprised,” said Salido. “I know I belong among the elite in the world at featherweight and look forward to been a world champion for a long time”
“I am very happy to finally get the opportunity to regain my world title and to show everyone that I am still the best featherweight in the world and that what happened last April was just a bad night,” said Lopez. “I will make my Puerto Rican fans proud on March 10.”
Salido (37-11-2, 25 KOs), from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, is a two-time featherweight champion. A professional fighter for 15 years, Salido captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight crown in 2010, dethroning defending champion Cristobal Cruz winning an exciting split decision and avenging his previous split decision world title loss to Cruz in 2008. After losing the title to undefeated superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa via a 12-round decision, also in 2010, Salido has been on a mission to seek and destroy, winning all three of his 2011 fights by knockout, including the WBO featherweight title from Lopez, and a title defense against Kenichi Yamaguchi.
Lopez (31-1, 28 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, returns to the ring for this rematch fresh from winning the the WBO Latino featherweight belt, via a second round knockout of Michael Oliver, Jr., in October. The pride of Puerto Rico has won 18 of his previous 20 fights by knockout, with the he only blemish, his eighth-round TKO loss to Salido last April. Lopez earned his first world title by knocking out defending WBO junior featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in the first round of their June 2008 fight. After five successful title defenses – four by knockout – he vacated the title and successfully challenged WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano, stopping him in the seventh round, on January 28, at Madison Square Garden. He successfully defended his featherweight crown with an exciting second-round TKO of the Manny Pacquiao-managed contender Bernabe Concepcion and an eighth-round TKO of two division world champion Rafael Márquez.
Garcia (27-0, 23 KOs), from Oxnard, Calif., makes his Puerto Rico debut having won 11 of his past 12 bouts by knockout. Considered to be one of boxing’s top young prospects, Garcia, 24, returns to the ring fresh from a career-best year in 2011, knocking out previously undefeated contender Matt Remillard in the 10th round last March to capture his NABF and NABO title belts, as well as Rafael Guzman and Juan Carlos Martinez, both in the fourth round, in title defenses. Trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed by his brother Robert Garcia, the former IBF junior lightweight champion, Garcia is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBA, No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO.
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