By Mark Vester
Undefeated WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (23-0, 21KOs) is ready for the big stage. He defends his title against Sergio Medina on the pay-per-view undercard to Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao on December 6 in Las Vegas. Looking ahead to 2009, Lopez wants to unify the division or land some form of a big fight.
Juanma says that he is ready to fight the big names like Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez and Celestino Caballero. He said if WBO bantamweight champ Gerry Penalosa wants some, he can get it too.
"That is my goal, to unify and then to continue winning championships in other weights. I am ready for Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, [Celestino] Caballero or any opponent in that weight. If Penalosa wants to fight with me and the offer is good, we can do that too. I am prepared for anyone," Lopez told El Nuevo Dia.
Lopez will have to work his way to one of the big names. Promoter Gary Shaw, who handles Marquez, recently told BoxingScene.com that Lopez needs to become a bigger name. Vazquez shared the same viewpoint when speaking with BoxingScene a few months ago. He also says that Lopez needs to make himself bigger, so a fight between the two of them is worth a lot more money when they finally meet.
Penalosa is said to be a strong possibility for Lopez in the first quarter of 2009. Peter Rivera of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, the co-promoter of Lopez, says Penalosa is a frontrunner for 09. Penalosa was almost going to fight Lopez on the De La Hoya-Pacquiao undercard, but Rivera felt the timing was wrong and Penalosa was also asking for a large purse.
"Penalosa is a very good possibility for the new year, but for now it didn't make a lot of sense from a business point of view, because the Philippine market is already taken by Pacquiao," Rivera said.
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