By Dan Ambrose: Former WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (31-1, 28 KO’s) was out of his class the last time he met up with Orlando Salido (37-11-2, 25 KO’s) last year in April in Lopez’s home country of Puerto Rico.

It’s hard to really say what Lopez should do differently in the rematch because he’s always been a slugger and it’s almost impossible to imagine him trying to box his way to a victory. But that’s what he’s going to have to do here. Salido is too strong, too talented and too tough for Lopez. If he tries to slug it out with the tough Mexican like he did last time, Lopez will get knocked out again.

The southpaw Lopez should have known that it wasn’t going to be his night in the 30 second of the opening round when Salido repeatedly nailed him with big looping right hands that snapped Lopez’s head sideways like it was on a swivel.

Believe it or not, it could much worse for Lopez as the fight crept to the midpoint of the fight where Salido staggered Lopez with big right hands in the 6th. Now fighting with his mouth open, his eyes looking glazed, Lopez tried to brawl with the stronger, better technically oriented Salido and it just wasn’t working out for him.

Salido eventually cornered Lopez two rounds later and put him out of his misery in the 8th round. The loss was a huge blow to not only the 28-year-old Lopez but also to his promoter Bob Arum, who had been sitting on a potential gold mine of a fight between Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa for two solid years.

Arum was holding onto that fight like it was a precious bottle of fine scotch that he was saving for a special occasion. Unfortunately for Arum, he waited too long, and Lopez got battered and beaten by the more experienced Salido.

Now the two fighters will do it again on March 10th at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lopez gets the home town advantage but it probably won’t matter all that much, because Salido has no problems with being the visiting fighter, as he’s done it so many time throughout his career. Salido will have issues with Lopez getting cheered for every punch he throws because it’s going to motivate Salido to catch up to Lopez and knock him out again in front of his own fans.