By Christian Ramos: The two have a combined record of 47 wins (41 KO’s) and 0 defeats. They are the future of the lower weight classes. Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez might have beaten each other out of boxing, and Celestino Caballero and Chris John have been constantly ignored by the boxing public. Truth is no matter how good the division is, since Edwin Valero passed away and Mayweather moved up in class, Juan Manuel López vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa is the mini-mega-fight to watch out for.

JuanMa might be the reincarnation of Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Aside of being a southpaw, the Puerto Rican native has the charisma, smile, questionable chin, and the inexplicable physical force behind both of his hands to remind you of the Puerto Rican legend and future Hall-of-Famer. Many of his recent fights have been short, and whether he completely dominated or had to face adversity, his fights have been must-see T.V. And whether it is Puerto Rico or The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, Juan Manuel López has the fan base to sell out the crowd.

Awaiting JuanMa on September 18 of this year is Rafael Marquez. Future Hall-of-Famer and brother of Juan Manuel Marquez, this Mexican warrior is not the one to look past by. Although mostly associated with his Gatti-like wars against Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez does posses speed, thunderous power punching, punching accuracy, and a high boxing IQ. Marquez is without a shadow of a doubt JuanMa’s toughest test in his young professional career. It should be an exciting match-up in which both lack the concrete chin and both have been blessed with knockout power. JuanMa however, might have a little edge in punching power which might help him get passed Marquez and prepare for the greatly anticipated match-up against the lightning fast Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Knocking out 15 of his 18 opponents, Yuriorkis Gamboa burst onto the boxing scene captivating interest of boxing fans everywhere. His foot-speed and lateral movements are remarkable. His ability to outbox opponents from the outside while not really being the tallest boxer is impressive. His punching power might be a little overrated however, but it only speaks highly of his supersonic speed and punching accuracy. Although he has stopped 15 out 18 opponents, one might argue that the accumulation of punches was completely unbearable, and might lead many viewers to mistake his precision exhibition with punching power. Yuriorkis Gamboa is definitely a serious threat to any boxer around 125 lbs including Juan Manuel López.

Both of these fighters are undeniably the top dogs in the division. Both are undefeated. Both have a huge fan base, although JuanMa has a clear edge in ticket sales and has a couple Pay per View’s on his resume. Both are extremely exciting to watch. And although JuanMa has certainly been criticized for his questionable chin, Yuriorkis Gamboa has actually hit the canvas more the López. Boxing analysts can tell you in order for either to win, Gamboa almost has to land about 500-600 punches, while JuanMa can get away with landing 5-10 solid shots. Interestingly enough, JuanMa’s defense, or lack thereof, helps Yuriorkis and his attributes. Can López handle Gamboa’s sizzling hand-speed and lateral movements? Can Yuriorkis chin handle a solid hit by the biggest puncher in the division? If JuanMa and Gamboa can get by their respective tests later on this year, we might have the best match-up in boxing aside of Pacquiao-Mayweather, early next year. Hey Arum, we deserve at least this one!