Juan Manuel López (boxer)

Infobox_Boxer
name = Juan López

| width=150
caption = López with the WBO Latino Super Bantamweight title
nationality = PUR
realname = Juan Manuel López
nickname = Juanma
weight = Super bantamweight
birth_date = birth date and age|1983|6|30|mf=y
birth_place = Juncos, Puerto Rico
style = Southpaw
total = 23
wins = 23
KO = 21
losses = 0
draws = 0
no contests = 0

Juan Manuel "Juanma" López Rivera (born June 30, 1983) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur Lopez represented Puerto Rico at numerous international tournaments including the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Summer Olympics. López's professional career began in 2005. As a professional he won his first nine fights by knockout before winning his first decision. On September 30, 2006 he defeated Jose Alonso to win the WBO Latino super bantamweight Championship, a regional championship sanctioned by the World Boxing Organization. On June 7, 2008, Lopez defeated Daniel Ponce de León by technical knockout to win the WBO super bantamweight championship.

Personal life

López isn't maried however he has a relationship with Bárbara De Jesús that has lasted for several years. [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=Los hijos del dúo, que aún no se ha casado, van hasta a la pista en las noches.] The couple has two children, which share the house with three siblings. The couple met in a public housing project in Juncos where López's mother lived. [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=El éxito familiar y profesional del joven boxeador descansa en gran parte sobre los hombros de su pareja Bárbara. Se conocieron hace ocho años cuando ella vivía en el residencial Antulio López en Juncos. “La mamá de ‘Juanma’ era mi vecina”, dice Bárbara] In the beginning López's family didn't support the relationship because De Jesús had three children from a previous relation. [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=Al principio la familia de ‘Juanma’ no vio la relación con buenos ojos. “Yo tenía tres hijos”, recuerda la joven madre sobre la reacción de la familia del boxeador, la cual aseguró entendió en su momento.] They eventually moved together and established a residence in Caguas. De Jesús plays a role in López's training, preparing seven daily meals and accompining him in weight routines. [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=En la mañana inicia el circuito que empieza por llevar los chicos a la escuela, hacerle cada una de las comidas y meriendas a ‘Juanma’ (cerca de siete). Tres veces por semana Bárbara se une a ‘Juanma’, en la rutina de pesas. Las tardes en el gimnasio, la cena, pista... en fin una carrera de campeonato.] Several members of their family attend his daily trainings, which he considers a "tranquility provider". [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=“Yo creo que eso es lo que me distrae. No me hace pensar tanto y estar tan tenso en el deporte”, confiesa ‘Juanma’. ¿Son un relajante? le pregunta El Nuevo Día. “Definitivamente”, contesta.] De Jesús is also present in López's coner when a fight is in progress and receives a salary for scheluding his daily agenda. [cite book| title=Premiado por el amor unánime| author=Yaritza Rivas| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| location=Puerto Rico| date=2008-05-10| quote=Además de cuidar de su familia y hacer sus dietas. Bárbara recibe un sueldo por llevar la agenda del púgil y ayudarle en todos los compromisos. ‘Juanma’ la busca como su amuleto cada vez que sube al ‘ring’ para una cartelera.]

Amateur career

López started boxing when he was ten years old. As an amateur, López compiled a record of 126-24. [cite web| url=http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=9573&more=1| title=Unbeaten Lopez Scores 6th Round TKO Over Vargas| publisher=East Side Boxing| date=2007-01-20| accessdate=2008-06-13] He won the Puerto Rican national title for five consecutive years (2000-04). [cite web| url=http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/2008/0607_pavlik_lockett/index.html| title=Championship Action on the Broadwalk: Kelly Pavlik vs. Gary Lockett and Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Juan Manuel López| publisher=HBO Boxing| accessdate=2008-06-13] He competed at bantamweight (convert|119|lb|kg in the amateur circuit). Internationally his success was mixed. He won bronze at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, San Salvador, El Salvador. At the 2003 Pan American Games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic he won his first fight but lost in the quarter finals. In the 2004 Summer Olympics he lost his first bout to Khavazhi Khatsigov (score 27-19).

Professional career

López turned professional in 2005 following the Olympic games, boxing in the junior featherweight division. As a professional he is promoted by Top Rank Boxing and comanaged by Orlando Piñero and Peter Rivera, president of Puerto Rico Best Boxing Promotions. [cite web| url=http://vocero.com/noticia-3449-_con_nombre_el_nuevo_rival_de_juanma.html| title=Con nombre el nuevo rival de Juanma| author=Carlos Narváez Rosario| publisher="El Vocero"| language=Spanish| date=2008-10-06| accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/boxeo/acciondeportiva/incierto_el_proximo_rival_de_juanma_lopez/236658| title=Incierto el próximo rival de Juanma López| publisher="Primera Hora"| language=Spanish| date=2008-10-07| accessdate=2008-10-07] López debuted on January 29, 2005 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico picking a quick knockout victory against also debuting boxer Luis Colón. He would go on to defeat nine straight adversaries by knockout: Ivan Cordero, Efrain Perez, Eric Nemos, Charlie Jones, Roberto Chacón, Luis Bolaño, Manuel Sanabria and Jose Luis Caro. [cite web| author=John Gregg| url=http://www.boxingtimes.com/analyses/2006/060121castillo_munoz2.html| title=Castillo Edges Munoz Retains Title| publisher=The Boxing Times| date=2006-01-21| accessdate=2007-09-16] He concluded his first year as a professional with a record of 8-0 with eight knockouts, which earned him the Puerto Rico Boxing Comission's recognition for rookie and prospect of the year. [cite web| url=http://www.terra.com/espdep/articulo/html/fox220868.htm| title=Miguel Cotto Boxeador del Año en Puerto Rico| publisher=Terra.com| language=Spanish| date=2006-01-22| accessdate=2008-09-28] On March 4, 2006 he would win his first fight by unanimous decision against Gilberto Bolanos of Mexico. [cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=415520| title=Sigue invicto.. y cuidado| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2006-03-04| accessdate=2007-09-16] He would win four more fights before the end of 2006, three of them by knockout. One of these fights was against Jose Alonso, for the WBO Latino Super Bantamweight Championship, a regional championship sanctioned by the World Boxing Organization. [cite web| author=Omar Marrero| url=http://www.azcentral.com/lavoz/spanish/sports/articles/sports_197573.html| title=Juanma López recibe la correa de campeón Latino | publisher="La Voz"| language=Spanish| date= 2007-01-17| accessdate=2007-09-16] The fight took place on September 30, 2006 in Caguas, Puerto Rico and ended in the third round when López defeated Alonso by technical knockout. His first fight of 2007 took place in Dodge Arena in Phoenix, Arizona against Cuauhtemoc Vargas, in a fight he won when Vargas was unable to continue. [cite web| author=John Gregg| url=http://www.boxingtimes.com/analyses/2007/070119lopez_vargas.html| title=Puerto Rican Sensation Lopez Grinds Down Vargas| publisher=The Boxing Times| date=2007-01-19| accessdate=2007-09-16] He would compete again on March 3 on San Juan, Puerto Rico against Leivi Brea in a fight he won by technical knockout. [cite web| author=Bad Brad| url=http://ringsidereport.com/rsr/print.php?type=N&item_id=1077| title=Miguel Cotto and Edison Miranda Win in Dominant Fashion on HBO| publisher=The Ringside Report| date=2007-03-04| accessdate=2007-09-16] On April 28, 2007 López would have his first fight outside of Puerto Rico and the United States in a fight that took place in Barranquilla, Colombia. The fight was against Colombian boxer Jorge Otero, the fight ended when the referee stopped the fight thus giving López another technical knockout victory. [cite book| author=Carlos Narváez Rosario| title=Incómoda la victoria de Juan Manuel López| publisher="El Vocero"| language=Spanish] López's next fight took place on June 22, 2007 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico against Giovanni Andrade of Brazil as the main event of a card presented by "Puerto Rico Best Boxing".cite web| author=Carlos González| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/boxeo/accion_deportiva/juanma_lo_hizo_ver_facilito/79669| title=Juanma lo hizo ver facilito| publisher="Primera Hora"| language=Spanish| date=2007-06-23| accessdate=2007-06-23] López won the fight by technical knockout at 2:59 of the first round when Andrade indicated to the referee that he couldn't continue. On August 4, 2007 Lopez retained his regional title in a fight where he defeated Hugo Dianzo by technical knockout.cite web| url=http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=d5017d02626a88d904e56c5aa819a377| title=Retiene Juan Manuel López título Latino de la OMB
publisher="El Diario"| date=2007-08-04| language=Spanish| accessdate=2007-09-24] López dominated throughout the fight opening wounds on Dianzo's head. On the tenth round one of López's punches opened one of these wounds further which led to Dianzo losing a significant amount of blood, following this incident the referee stopped the fight. López would successfully defend his regional title against Omar Adorno, in a special fight card presented by the WBO that took place on October 31, 2007.cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/boxeo/accion_deportiva/contundente_juanma_lopez/124495| title=Contundente 'Juanma' López| author=Carlos González| publisher="Primera Hora"| date=2007-11-01| accessdate=2007-11-16] Juan scored three knockdows throughout the course of the fight, and after two minutes of the second round had passed he won the fight by knockout. López's fourth title defense took place on February 23, 2008, when he defeated Jonathan Oquendo by technical knockout in the third round of an event titled "Guerra Civil". [cite web| url=http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Resultado_2/Juanma_L_pez_destruyo_a_Oquendo_en_PR.php| title=¡Juanma López destruyó a Oquendo en PR!| author=Aleudi Rosario Cotto| publisher=Notifight.com| language=Spanish| date=2008-02-23| accessdate=2008-10-05]

WBO super bantamweight title

On June 7, 2008, López fought in his first world championship match when he challenged Daniel Ponce de León for the World Boxing Organization's super bantamweight title in a card organized by Home Box Office at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/boxeo/acciondeportiva/fulminante_juanma/198487| title=Fulminante Juanma| author=Carlos González| publisher="Primera Hora"| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-07| accessdate=2008-06-08] He won by technical knockout in the first round, when the referee stopped the fight after Ponce de León failed to respond following two consecutive knockdowns. [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/boxeo/acciondeportiva/round_x_round:_juan_manuel_juanma_lopez_vs._daniel_ponce_de_leon/198472| title=Round x Round: Juan Manuel "Juanma" López vs. Daniel Ponce de León| author=Carlos González| publisher="Primera Hora"| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-07| accessdate=2008-06-08] López's first defense was against César Figueroa and it took place on October 4, 2008, in an event titled "The First Step" which was organized at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico.cite book| title=“Un recto, un gancho y se cayó”| author=Fernando Ribas Reyes| publisher="El Nuevo Día"| language=Spanish| chapter=Deportes| location=Puerto Rico| pages=102-103] His entrance featured fireworks and personalized music composed by Baby Rasta y Gringo, while Félix Trinidad and Iván Calderón accompanied him in the ring. The fight lasted only 47 seconds, López began by boxing around the ring and throwing sporadic jabs, but in his first offensive attempt he connected a combination that left Figueroa unconscious. Roberto Ramírez, the fight's referee, concluded the protection count without response and stopped the contest by knockout.

Professional championships

See also

* List of current world boxing champions
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions

References

External links

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