TIM COLEMAN vs PATRICK LOPEZ

Fights such as Tim Coleman against Patrick Lopez are what the ShoBox series is all about, a meeting of two well-matched, well-conditioned and determined boxers who are hungry for success.
 
Coleman, from Baltimore, defends his USBA junior welter title in Friday’s main event and I anticipate a sparkling 12-rounder.
 
Each man is coming into the fight after scoring an excellent win in his last fight, with Coleman capturing the USBA title by outpointing Mike Arnaoutis while the southpaw Lopez blew right through the unbeaten but untested Prenice Brewer in three rounds.
 
Although Lopez is a clear favourite at the sportsbooks, I make this almost an even fight. Coleman is now being trained by Roger Mayweather, who has had his personal problems but knows how to train a fighter to win (although of course Roger’s nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr. is such a master of his art that it could be said he would be outstanding with any trainer in his corner).
 
Coleman was seen on ShoBox two years ago when he lost a unanimous but close decision to the undefeated James De La Rosa in a highly entertaining bout.
 
That contest was in the welterweight division, and De La Rosa was a little too big and strong for Coleman. De La Rosa scored hurtfully to the body and pulled out the win with a surging offensive in the last two rounds against a tiring Coleman.
 
 
Even though he suffered his first loss, Coleman impressed with his heart and talent. In an eight-round bout he would have came away with a draw, but he couldn’t quite keep up with De La Rosa in the ninth and 10^th.
 
Coleman feels that 140 pounds is the right weight for him. “I feel stronger and quicker here,” Coleman told Showtime after Thursday’s weigh-in. “It’s been hard getting fights, so I’ll take whoever. I fight because I love it. I’ve been training with Roger [Mayweather] since I was 12 years old when I was an amateur, but this is my first pro fight with him.”
 
It did seem to me, though, that Coleman was feeling Arnaoutis’s pressure at times in their nip-and-tuck bout last December. Arnaoutis, typically, failed to let his hands move enough, and he lost some close rounds that with a bit more purpose he could have won, but, even so, the split decision in Coleman’s favour was somewhat controversial.
 
Lopez, 32, is on a fine run of form, with five wins in a row although he might have been a bit flattered by the one-sided victory over Brewer, who seemed to fold his tent all too quickly. This was an outstanding performance by Lopez, though, because he was the underdog in that fight.
 
Coleman is the younger man and the more stylish boxer in Friday’s fight but Lopez is very experienced, with an amateur career that included representing Venezuela in two Olympics and capturing a Pan American Games gold medal: he beat world title challenger Lamont Peterson rather comfortably in the Pan Ams, 23-8 on the electronic scoring system.
 
Lopez lost to world lightweight title challenger Fernando Angulo and the busy-punching Josesito Lopez in crowd-pleasing fights but I get the impression that only now is he truly beginning to find himself as a professional boxer, and I know that his California promoter, Thompson Boxing, is pleased with his progress over the past 18 months.
 
I make Lopez-Thompson almost a toss-up but I’m giving the narrow edge to Lopez because I think he is a bit stronger and a more mature fighter than his talented opponent.
 
There was a point in last December’s fight when it looked as if Arnaoutis might be taking command against Coleman, but the Greek southopaw just didn’t press his advantage. I feel that Lopez will keep the pressure on Coleman, and keep the punches coming from his southpaw stance.
 
Coleman showed against Arnaoutis that he can box effectively against a southpaw, though, and I think he will have success with his crisp right hands through the middle, but I am expecting Lopez to be busier.
 
This fight looks very likely to go the full 12 rounds and I would not be terribly surprised to see a debatable decision, but I will go with Lopez to eke out the win on workrate.
 
The last ShoBox main event was a predictably unexciting bout with a predictable winner when British welterweight prospect John O’Donnell easily outpointed the ever-cautious Terrance Cauthen, but I am looking forward to Lopez versus Coleman, and I am confident that this contest will not leave the viewers feeling disappointed.
 
NEW PREVIEWS AVAILABLE FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Kirakosyan-Foster; Juan Jose Montes-Sylvester Lopez; Abraham-Froch; Nishioka-Munroe; Nilson Tapia-Jorge Heiland; with more to follow this weekend.