Salido, Lopez Go Head To Head In Puerto Rico

ByBoxing Press

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.”

Juan Manuel 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.