By Rey Colon
WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez may have been a diplomat when discussing this Saturday's opponent Orlando Salido, but he was fired up when discussing the subject of fellow unbeaten Puerto Rican Wilfredo 'Papito' Vazquez Jr., who is the current WBO super bantamweight champion. Juanma is upset with some rather strong comments that Vazquez made about him on ESPN.
"I don't like to give promotion to anybody, so this is the last time that I'm going to talk about him. Wilfredo Vázquez Jr. made some strong comments about me, that there is arrogance in me. He said that my team is mediocre. I regret that he is not here so I can tell him to his face, that if my team is mediocre, well this is the same team that helped make him a world champion," Juanma said. "I am not arrogant. I'm really cool with everybody. [Vazquez's promoter] Tutico Zabala doesn't take my six figures. I am a fighter who takes my money. I know what I'm worth and we can fight next."
Lopez reminded him that Peter Rivera and Bob Arum are part of his team "and they made you a world champion."
"And he made comments about where my fights are staged but the Roberto Clemente and the Rubén Rodriguez are two of the best theaters in Puerto Rico. At the Roberto Clemente is where Muhammad Ali fought. And the Ruben Rodriguez is where he became a champion. He said that I was never a part of the large events and he is part of the Pacquiao undercard, well I was part of the undercard to Pacquiao's fight with Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand. He talks about where I came from, I am humble and I have built myself from the bottom."