JOSE LOPEZ vs PRAMUANSAK POSUWAN

Veteran Jose Lopez has fought for a major world title four times and each time he has come away a loser. Tonight he gets his fifth chance when he meets the Thai, Pramuansak Posuwan, for the vacant WBO 115-pound title.

For the first time, Lopez gets his opportunity on home soil in Puerto Rico. In previous attempts he lost in Argentina and three times in the U.S., when he was meeting Mexican fighters.

I was at ringside in Reno in September, 2001, when he lost a unanimous decision to Fernando Montiel, who was undefeated at the time. Montiel was too fast and clever for him, but Lopez got credit for a knockdown in the ninth round. My notes remind me that Montiel went down from what looked to me to be an obviously low blow and he clearly expected to be given a time out, but instead the referee started counting. One of the judges made that a 10-10 round, another judge had Lopez winning the round 10-9, which is a good indication that this was not a legitimate knockdown.

Lopez is unbeaten since that fight, and while I do not think he has shown any remarkable improvement he is a very determined individual, a tough, aggressive, hard-hitting boxer-fighter who was always just a little short of the very top level but who was capable of giving anyone a stiff argument. (Although Montiel beat him by wide margins on the scorecards, Lopez had the Mexican stylist under pressure for much of the fight.)

I think that on Saturday Lopez has the best chance he has ever had of leaving the ring as a world champion. The Thai is a very capable fighter and extremely tough, but he is also 40 years old.

Pramuansak has boxed only once outside of Thailand, when he lost a unanimous decision to Fernando Montiel in Tucson, AZ, on a Mexico versus Thailand show in October 2005. He proved to be a sound technical boxer with an excellent defence, and he gave Montiel a lot of trouble.

In a strange deja vu incident, Montiel went down in that fight from what seemed to me to be a clear low blow only to be given an eight count — the Jose Lopez “knockdown” all over again.

I thought that Montiel was in grave danger of letting the fight slip away from him. He was staying back, trying to figure out Pramuansak, and in a nip and tuck, rather dull fight, the Thai was doing well and winning rounds. Montiel came on, though, with a strong finish, aided by the fact that Pramuansak’s right eye began to swell horribly from the ninth round. At the end the Thai’s face had that so-called gargoyle appearance. A knockdown in the 12th — although a tiring Pramuansak seemed to have slipped — enabled Montiel to sew up the close but unanimous decision.

We know, then, that Pramuansak can hold his own at a high level. He is a very well-conditioned fighter who has been the 12-round distance numerous times, and he has a huge amount of experience, having boxed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics before turning professional in 2001.

This should be a very competitive fight, but I just think that this is Lopez’s time. He will have the crowd passionately behind him in Bayamon, he is on a very nice winning run, and I believe he will put his heart and soul into winning this fight. Pramuansak is not going to be easily beaten and I think his counter punching and smart boxing will keep the Thai right in the fight, but I believe that the aggression, harder punching and sheer will-to-win of Lopez will see the Puerto Rican fighter edging out a tight win on the scorecards to become a world champ at long last.