by David P. Greisman

Ronnie Shields (Salido): “Man. You know what, watching that first fight, I think that was the second time I’d seen Salido, and the way he put it on Lopez, even if Lopez didn’t have weight problems, I don’t think he can beat Salido. Salido just has his number. Salido, with the pressure that he applies, and just the way he catches punches and fires right back, he keeps the pressure on Lopez.

“I think Salido. I think it’s going to be a late stoppage again. Salido, he’s confident now that he stopped Lopez, and I really think he thinks he can do it again. I think he’s going to train even harder because he’s going back to Puerto Rico, he’s going back to the same place where he won the title. He’s a train, and you better get out of the way because if you’re standing on the tracks he’s going to run all over you. I pick him again, by a late stoppage, maybe Round 10 or 11.”

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (Salido): “I like Salido. He stopped him in Puerto Rico, in his own hometown. That’s just even more of an incentive. If I don’t stop you, I’m going to outpoint you. And I think that Lopez just got caught up with all the hype about who he was and this and that. You got to live up to that. You got to work hard. He stopped working hard. I think it’s going to be a great fight, but I just think the other kid’s going to pull it out. I beat you once in your hometown. I’m not scared. I can do it again. Same situation.”

John Scully (Salido): “My feeling is that Salido probably has his number, mentally as much as anything. I don’t really go by individual instances, but in [Lopez’s] last fight I had my fighter Mike Oliver fight Juanma, and visibly, noticeably, he hurt Juanma in the first round with a right hook. and Mike is a 122-pounder, he’s not a 126 at all. He could’ve weighed 120 for that fight if he wanted to, and he visibly hurt Juanma.

“I just think Juanma’s confidence is a little shaky right now, and I just go with Salido all the way. I'm thinking by decision. Juanma will fight a better fight, he'll suck it up, but I assume he'll make it through 12.”

Sam Garcia (Salido): “I think that Juanma will have his personal life put together; he was going through a divorce and some other changes in his life at the time. But honestly, I like Salido. I just think he’s a bad style match-up. I think he’s tough. I think he’s hungry. I think he’s ready. I see a repeat of what happened last fight. I see another technical knockout for Salido.”

Henry Ramirez (Salido): “That’s a tough fight. Hopefully it’s as entertaining as the first one. I’m going to go with Salido again. It was a great fight the first fight. I’m going to go with Salido. He’s probably the underdog even though he won the first fight. He’s going to go back to Juanma’s backyard, and I think he’s going to get the job done again. I just think he’s going to be able to impose himself, just keep coming, keep the pressure on him like he did the last time. I know Juanma said there were some things outside the ring that were taking his focus, but I think Salido’s going to pull through again [by decision].”

David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter at twitter.com/fightingwords2 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fightingwordsboxing, or send questions and comments to fightingwords1@gmail.com

Tags: Juan Manuel Lopez , Orlando Salido , Lopez-Salido , Lopez vs Salido