Miguel Cotto spent much of his career trying to escape the shadow of Felix "Tito" Trinidad. But Juan Manuel Lopez is more than happy to benefit from its presence.
Cotto succeeded Trinidad as Puerto Rico's most successful boxing champion, and he opted to establish his own identity to the point of distancing himself from the popular Trinidad, who was a national hero in his native country for winning titles as a welterweight and middleweight. But Lopez, the latest of Puerto Rico's superstar punchers, calls Trinidad a friend and seeks his advice on a daily basis.
We've become personal friends, real good friends," Lopez said of his relationship with Trinidad. "We talk at least once a day. He calls me all the time. We talk about everything."
Their latest topic of discussion is Lopez's defense of his WBO junior featherweight title Saturday night at the Garden's WaMu Theater against Rogers Mtagawa (26-12-2, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia. In the other co-main event Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba (15-0, 13 KOs) defends his WBA featherweight title against Whyuber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs) of Panama.
Also on the card are middleweight John Duddy (26-1, 17 KOs), junior middleweight Pawel Wolak (24-1, 16 KOs) of Poland and unbeaten Cuban heavyweight Odlanier Solis (14-0, 10 KOs), who will face Monte Barrett of Queens. Tickets ranging from $250 to $50 remain available.
Trinidad will not be in attendance because he has to attend a family function, but he is staying in contact with Lopez through daily phone calls.
"He always tells me that the fights are won in the gym," Lopez said. "If you prepare yourself in the gym, you'll have no trouble the night of the fight. That's what I try to do, prepare myself in the gym, so I'll have no trouble the night of the fights."
So far that strategy has worked. Unbeaten in 26 fights with 24 knockouts, including the last 14 straight by knockout, Lopez will be fighting at the Garden for the first time as champion. It's his fifth title defense after winning the title from Daniel De Leon in June 2008.
Lopez, who goes by the nickname Juanma, said he would like to move up to the 126-pound featherweight division "sooner rather than later" and there's talk if both stay unbeaten, he could fight Gamboa sometimes next summer. For now, Lopez simply wants to build his name.
"Even though I'm a champion, I still have to fight in front of bigger crowds in bigger fights," he said. "I'm coming along fine. I'm doing well. I'm on the road to gaining all the exposure that I need. But without a doubt we're on the right road."
Cotto succeeded Trinidad as Puerto Rico's most successful boxing champion, and he opted to establish his own identity to the point of distancing himself from the popular Trinidad, who was a national hero in his native country for winning titles as a welterweight and middleweight. But Lopez, the latest of Puerto Rico's superstar punchers, calls Trinidad a friend and seeks his advice on a daily basis.
We've become personal friends, real good friends," Lopez said of his relationship with Trinidad. "We talk at least once a day. He calls me all the time. We talk about everything."
Their latest topic of discussion is Lopez's defense of his WBO junior featherweight title Saturday night at the Garden's WaMu Theater against Rogers Mtagawa (26-12-2, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia. In the other co-main event Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba (15-0, 13 KOs) defends his WBA featherweight title against Whyuber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs) of Panama.
Also on the card are middleweight John Duddy (26-1, 17 KOs), junior middleweight Pawel Wolak (24-1, 16 KOs) of Poland and unbeaten Cuban heavyweight Odlanier Solis (14-0, 10 KOs), who will face Monte Barrett of Queens. Tickets ranging from $250 to $50 remain available.
Trinidad will not be in attendance because he has to attend a family function, but he is staying in contact with Lopez through daily phone calls.
"He always tells me that the fights are won in the gym," Lopez said. "If you prepare yourself in the gym, you'll have no trouble the night of the fight. That's what I try to do, prepare myself in the gym, so I'll have no trouble the night of the fights."
So far that strategy has worked. Unbeaten in 26 fights with 24 knockouts, including the last 14 straight by knockout, Lopez will be fighting at the Garden for the first time as champion. It's his fifth title defense after winning the title from Daniel De Leon in June 2008.
Lopez, who goes by the nickname Juanma, said he would like to move up to the 126-pound featherweight division "sooner rather than later" and there's talk if both stay unbeaten, he could fight Gamboa sometimes next summer. For now, Lopez simply wants to build his name.
"Even though I'm a champion, I still have to fight in front of bigger crowds in bigger fights," he said. "I'm coming along fine. I'm doing well. I'm on the road to gaining all the exposure that I need. But without a doubt we're on the right road."
Comment