By Ian S Palmer
Josesito Lopez will be trying to make it two upsets in a row when he takes on 22-year-old undefeated WBC Jr. Middleweight Champion Saul Alvarez in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Arena on Sept. 15. Lopez shocked many fans in the boxing world earlier in the year when he stopped Victor Ortiz at the end of the ninth round back in June. This scuttled plans for an Ortiz vs Lopez showdown on this date.
However, the odds are stacked against Lopez from the get-go since he’s really a junior welterweight who had to put on the pounds when he met Ortiz at welterweight. He still only weighed in at 144 lbs for that fight, which was three pounds under the 147 limit. He’ll now be fighting at an even heavier weight division against Lopez. It’s also not uncommon for Lopez to add on about 15 more pounds by the time he enters the ring.
Alvarez, who hails from Jalisco, Mexico, will enter the squared circle with an impeccable record of 40-0-1 record with 29 knockouts while Lopez of Riverside, California has a mark of 30-4 with 18 KOS. While Alvarez has an unbeaten record, he’s taken on several boxers who are in the twilight of their careers or are simply past their peak. These include Carlos Baldomir, Shane Mosley, and Kermit Cintron. He’s also beaten Matthew Hatton, Alfonso Gomez, Lovemore Ndou, Ryan Rhodes, and Jose Cotto since turning pro in 2005. The only blemish on his record is a four-round draw against Jose Juarez in a four rounder back in 2006.
Alvarez is 5-foot-9 with a 71-inch reach, so he’s not exactly a tall fighter. What is remarkable is his experience and activity as he’s fought 41 pro fights already at the tender age of 22. Lopez is 28 years old who’s about the same height as Alvarez with a slightly shorter reach. He’s lost to Edgar Santana, Jessie Vargas, Wes Ferguson and Rodrigo Lopez. Two of the losses were split decisions, one was a majority and the other a unanimous decision. He’s never been stopped and is quite durable and showed a lot of courage and firepower against Ortiz.
Still, the telling factor in this bout could come down to weight, There’s a good chance Alvarez could have a 20 lb advantage on Lopez when the bell rings and it’s really going to be hard for Lopez to move or stop the heavier Alvarez from advancing. Lopez is going to have to pack a hell of a punch if he’s going to be able to hurt the champion. However, Lopez could have a speed advantage and if he can get in and out while landing some shots to rack up points it might be his best option.
Alvarez isn’t the most powerful puncher in the sport, but his shots seem to be quite heavy. He doesn’t really have one-punch knockout power, but the accumulation of his punches usually slow opponents down. Lopez showed in the Ortiz fight that he has a good chin and he’ll probably need it. It’s a tall order for Lopez, but it’s not impossible. He should be able to hold his own for several rounds, but will eventually be worn down by the champion and probably stopped in the second half of the bout.
