By Mark Vester
WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon has promised to put a hurt on undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez when the two fighters clash on the June 7 undercard to Kelly Pavlik-Gary Lockett at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. One man will probably fall on his back. The two fighters have a combined 49 knockouts in 55 fights.
Ponce De Leon is upset that Lopez told reporters that he will win the fight by knockout before the start of the ninth-round.
"He said that? I am going to knock him out. If he tries to run, I will go after him all over thr ing to get to him," Ponce De Leon told El Nuevo Dia. "I am prepared to win at any cost. I'm not worried. I've fought with a lot of strong punchers and I've broken them down. And what Juan brings to the table, I will break him down. I am sparring right now with fighters bigger than myself. I am ready to take his shots. I'm not worried about his left-hand style because I've fought a lot of left-handers and performed very well.
The Puerto Rican media is pumping up Lopez, but Ponce De Leon's manager, Joe Hernandez, says the unbeaten fighters in no superstar.
"Juan Manuel Lopez is not Wilfredo Gomez or Felix Trinidad or Miguel Cotto. We don't fear his punches. Juan Manuel is an average fighter who is fighting way too early for the title. When he attackes first he does well, but when he is under attack, he goes backwards," Hernandez said. "The plan is to destroy the enemy and Juan will not make it to the final bell."
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