Juanma Sees Upside in Accepting Fight With Cuellar

By Miguel Rivera

Former two division champion Juan Manuel "Juanma" Lopez (34-4, 31KOs) says he is well aware that Jesus Cuellar (24-1, 18KOs) likely believes he is shopworn and that's the reason why he wanted to fight him.

Cuellar, the interim-featherweight champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA), will defend his title against Juanma on September 11 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

It was only last month that Juanma suffered a bad TKO defeat in three rounds to Francisco Vargas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. That fight was at 130-pounds.

"[Cuellar believes I'm shot and] I'm sure that's why [he wants to fight me]. I have no doubt," Lopez told Jose Sanchez. "It's a risk, go back down there [126 pounds]. There are a lot of risks, like the possibility of coming back and taking another loss so quickly. But we have an upside. If we win the fight we get right back in line [for a chance to fight for a world title]."