By Rick Reeno
On Thursday night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, former two division world champion Juan Manuel "Juanma" Lopez (34-5, 31KOs) suffered the fifth knockout defeat of his career. He was easily obliterated in two rounds by WBA interim-featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (25-1, 19KOs).
For Juanma, only 31-years-old, it was the third knockout loss in his last four fights and his fifth knockout loss in his last nine fights. Juanma was badly beaten less than two months ago, when Francisco Vargas stopped him in three rounds. Cuellar's victory had a far more brutal ending as Juanma was knocked out and fell face-first in the second round.
The once promising star of Puerto Rican boxing has finally come to realization that his career is over.
"This is over. I'm going to go to Puerto Rico and talk to my family but it seems that this is it. He's a great champion, but it seems like this is it. He's a good champion, powerful and young - and I was the same [back then]," Juanma said.
Robert Garcia, who trains Cuellar, agrees with Juanma's decision to hang up the gloves. Garcia also trained his younger brother, Mikey Garcia, for his KO of Juanma in June 2013.
"We talked inside the ring. I went to his corner when he was on his stool and I took off his gloves. I told him 'Juanma you have been a great champion, Puerto Rico loves you and you have had a great career.' His cornermen said 'that's it, no more' and I told them that's a great decision. That's what I came to tell him, that he had a great career and we will always support him. They agreed, the cornermen agreed. Juanma didn't say anything but his cornermen did," Garcia told BoxingScene.com.