By Jhonny Gonzalez
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is confident former two division world champion Juan Manuel Lopez (31-2, 28KOs) has a lot left in the gas tank. Last Saturday night in San Juan, WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido stopped Lopez in the tenth round of action. It was the second TKO loss for Lopez in his last three fights. Arum could see Lopez matched up with likes of IBF champion Billy Dib (34-1, 21KOs) or a big all-Puerto Rico battle with Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-2-1, 18KOs).
Arum would like Lopez to have two to three fights to build himself up and then place him in a big fight.
"From what I saw in the fight, it is clear that Lopez is not finished as a boxer. We are very confident that Lopez will return to the position that he once occupied. He is still very popular in Puerto Rico and an attraction. One possibility is that Lopez would challenge Billy Dibb. I would have to communicate with their representatives for availability, but it's definitely something to be considered. [Juanma vs. Vazquez] would be a big fight. As a promoter, I can't dismiss the idea because it would be an event where people would go crazy [in Puerto Rico]," Arum told Carlos Gonzalez.
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