By Jhonny Gonzalez
Trainers Felix Trinidad Sr. and Jose Bonilla predict a very bright future for WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez. He was impressed with Juanma's big knockout win over Rafael Marquez from last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Trinidad Sr. and Bonilla agree; the time has come for Juanma to only accept the big fights.
"Juanma is a fighter who is now in his moment. Juanma is, at that stage, when he begins to face the big names. At the level he is at now, there will be no easy fights. The networks like HBO and Showtime, they are looking for big money fights and this is what he has to take now," Bonilla said to Raul Alzanga.
Top Rank is building up a fight between Juanma and WBA champion Yuriorkis Gamboa. They wants to stage the fight in June of 2011. Trinidad Sr. is not worried about Juanma's chances in the fight. He doesn't regard Gamboa as being a more dangerous fighter than Marquez.
“I like Gamboa for Juanma because he always comes forward, he is aggressive and very open. He gets hit. Like Marquez, I think he's a fighter made to order for Juanma," said Trinidad Sr. "I see good future for him and his corner because they look good against opponents and they prepared very well against Marquez, who for me was more dangerous than Gamboa himself."
Regarding Celestino Caballero, Trinidad Sr. is advising Juanma to save that fight for the super featherweight division. He doesn't think the fight makes financial sense to stage at this moment.
“Celestino Caballero is an awkward fighter, cunning, but he is not worth the risk with the money he produces. That's a fight that I would leave for later, when Juanma decides to move up to 130 pounds," said Trinidad Sr.
