By Francisco Hernandez: One possible opponent for a supposed stay busy fight for Juan Manuel Lopez is Orlando Salido. If Salido is chosen as Lopez’s next opponent be assured this will not be a stay busy fight. Salido has faced good opposition, Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Rogers Mtagwa, and others. In his recent fight against Gamboa, Gamboa showed much caution and respect for Salido, choosing to box Salido from long range and not exchanging with Salido. Gamboa chose to pot shot Salido out of a defensive posture for most of the fight. Gamboa’s superior boxing skills won the fight but he never really engaged Salido in a toe to toe battle.

Orlando Salido has a great trainer in legend and former Champion Daniel Zaragoza who is a lifelong student of Nacho Beristain. Zaragoza is now training fighters and is doing a great job; he is ready to take the mantle as the premier boxing trainer in Mexico after Nacho Beristain retires. Zaragoza has done a good job in taking an ordinary fighter like Orlando Salido and making him a better fighter.

If Salido faces Juan Manuel Lopez this could be another candidate for fight of the year because Juan Manuel Lopez will come to knockout Salido and Salido can also punch and has a decent chin. If Salido connects Lopez, he may be able to knock him out. Lopez advantage is that he is faster and is a good counter puncher.

I hope that Juan Manuel Lopez chooses this Yaqui warrior to use as a stay busy fight, because he will be surprised when he finds himself in a war of major proportions. Although Juan Manuel’s trainers are smart enough to know what awaits Juan Manuel Lopez if he chooses Orlando Salido, so they may go with another less dangerous opponent.