JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ TKO2 BERNABE CONCEPCION

It was bombs away in San Juan on Saturday night when Puerto Rico’s Juan Manuel Lopez blasted out Bernabe Concepcion in two rounds in a short-lived but thrilling main event on Showtime. Lopez is one of the most exciting fighters in the business, an aggressive southpaw who hits hard and is willing to take risks to get the other man out of the fight. A projected match against Rafael Marquez will be one to anticipate with eagerness.
 
Concepcion was hurt by a right hook very all in the featherweight title fight and a one-round ending looked likely when a straight left from Lopez’s southpaw stance sent the Filipino fighter down heavily. Yet Concepcion, under siege, had his shining moment when a left hook dropped Lopez just before the end of round one.
 
I thought that maybe Lopez would box a bit conservatively in the second round but, no, he went right after Concepcion again, rocking him badly with the right hook and practically chasing him out of the ring before sending him sprawling in a corner (left hand followed by a push). Although Concepcion dragged himself up he was looking disorientated and referee Luis Pabon correctly waved the finish.
 
Lopez has now won 29 bouts in a row with 26 opponents stopped and he has the same type of hit-or-be-hit approach of one of Puerto Rico’s greats, Felix Trinidad — a true fighter who believes that his power will always give him the final word.