Invite to a workout: Lopez vs. Marquez
Rafael Marquez Photo: Art Garcia
Monday, November 1st, at noon the media will be invited inside the Fortune Gym at 7574B Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, to watch the WBO featherweight world champ Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico work out and then an hour later the Mexican legend and future Hall of Famer Rafael Marquez will participate in an open workout, just five days before their fight on Saturday, Nov. 6, live on Showtime from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, is attempting to make a third successful
The pride of Puerto Rico, Juan Manuel Lopez. Photo: Showtime's Showbox
defense of his WBO crown. The 27-year-old champion has registered an astounding 26 knockouts in 29 professional fights. The power-punching southpaw will now face the toughest and most important test of his career in Marquez, a battle-tested champion with a relentless desire to win at all costs.
Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), of México City, a former IBF bantamweight champion at 118 pounds, cemented himself in boxing lore when he moved up to 122 pounds to take on Israel Vazquez in what became an unforgettable four-fight series that saw each warrior win twice. The 35-year-old is coming off a third-round knockout of Vazquez in the final installment of that series. His last bout was only his second fight at super-featherweight (126-130 pounds). Now, he’s taking on the younger Lopez at 126 pounds in a quest for a world title in his third division.
Glen Johnson is now 41 years old. When you've been around as long as he has, you're bound to start slipping.
Allan "Ghost Dog" Green
In the co-feature, Showtime has world-ranked contender Allan Green facing the former world light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson in a must-win Super Six World Boxing Classic bout. Also known as Glengoffe Johnson, Johnson arrived in South Florida, from Jamaica, at the age of 15. Believe it or not, that was 26 years ago. Known as the “Road Warrior”, Johnson has now amassed a record of 50-14-2 with 34 KO’s.
His opponent, Green, aka. Ghost Dog, is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and he’s the former NABO Super Middleweight Champion. Green has been all over TV, on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights and Showtime’s Showbox. His record stands at 29-2-0 with 20 KO’s. Green is three inches taller than Johnson and 10 years younger.
