By Eric ‘Sugar Foot’ Duran
“It’s beauty in the struggle , ugliness in the success, hear my words or listen to my signal of distress
I grew up in the city and though sometimes we had less
Compared to some of my hittas down the block man we were blessed,
And life can’t be no fairy tale, no once upon a time
But I be God damned if a hitaa don’t be tryin”
For what’s money without happiness? Or hard times without the people you love
Though I’m not sure what’s ’bout to happen next, I asked for strength from the Lord up above
Cause I’ve been strong so far”
J. Cole, “Love Yours”, 2014 Forrest Hills Drive, 2014.
In life we are forced to make decisions that at the moment, you aren’t sure of the ramifications. You toss and turn at night, frantically pacing back and forth going over the possible outcomes. At the end of the day though, the best decision isn’t always the best decision for yourself but for the bigger picture.
Lopez has been dealing with these type of decisions over the last couple of years. Lopez was attending Marquette University on a full ride scholarship. After 2 1/2 of schooling, funds were cut, the majority of his credits were unable to be transferred. Lopez was faced with a tough decision, move on or start over, “I had to move back home and start all over again. It was tough at the time but I’m glad I didn’t give up.”
Most recently Lopez faced another big decision, “I am thankful for the opportunities that I was given but it was time to go.” Lopez split with his first promoter, Delgado Promotions, after a 3 year partnership. It was a tough decision for Lopez who under the promotion was a chief sparring partner and stable mate of world champion, Mike Alvarado, “It was a learning experience. It was both fun and challenging at times.” Leaving that environment and exposure was a tough move, “the networking, seeing how the game works at the pinnacle of the sport, it was great, I took full advantage,” stated Lopez. Lopez feels at ease with the decision months removed calling it a blessing and perfect timing.
Lopez has made all these decisions with one thing in mind, growth, “I want to be successful and reach my full capabilities.” Also, he has a set of young eyes watching his every move. Lopez is a single father, juggling work, school and fatherhood, “Josiah is who I do it for now. It’s tough at times but I have a lot of support from my family.”
As Lopez grows, he does so knowing that a young life depends on the decisions he makes,”The best feeling in the world is watching my son higher up. Knowing he looks up to me, means the world to me.” On days when he’s tired from work and school, his son inspires him to continue his journey, “motivation to train after a long day, to make the drive from Aurora to Brighton every night.”
He says he owes a lot of credit to his family, especially his mother, “She deserves a lot of credit for keeping me going.”
Equipped with a new team in New Generation Promotions, Lopez is excited for 2015, “I want to make my city, Denver, proud of me.” Lopez feels comfortable in his new gym, Strictly Boxing, they have been welcoming since day one he stated. He feels like a extended part of the family, it’s an unbelievable feeling that Lopez feels has helped him progress as a fighter, “my last fight was a different Manuel. When someone genuinely cares for you, it exudes confidence.” He credits Rick Lopez Sr. for this new found outlook.
With his career back on track, Lopez looks towards his graduation as well, “in May I’ll graduate from Metro University with a Major in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Psychology.”
On February 28th, 2015, Manny Lopez returns to action on “The Quest For Champions” show. Lopez will face Christian Steele (4-13-2) over 6 rounds in the welterweight division, “he’s a survivor. My job is to break his will to survive and come out victorious.”
New Generations Promotions presents: “The Quest For Champions”, live from The Crown Plaza DIA on February 28th. Information and tickets can be found at newgenfights.com.
