By Dan Ambrose: Juan Manuel Lopez (30-1, 27 KO’s) failed miserably in his big test against the tough Mexican Orlando Solido (35-11-2, 23 KO’s) last Saturday night in an 8th round TKO loss in front of Lopez’s shocking fans in Peurto Rico. The loss showed loud and clear that the 27-year-old Lopez isn’t in the same class as fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez and Yuriorkis Gamboa, both of which easily beat Salido in lopsided 12 round decision victories. What does that tell you about Lopez?

It suggests that he’s a good fighter but not quite at the same level as Marquez and Gamboa. There’s nothing wrong with him failing but it shows you that Lopez needs to step back a level and start looking at taking on guys lesser guys. Forget about a match-up with Gamboa. It would be a slaughter. And if Bob Arum, Lopez’s promoter, does put him in with Salido in a rematch next, it will be bad for Lopez. I really wouldn’t advise having him put back in there with Salido to get another beating like the one he took last Saturday.

What Lopez needs right now is three or four tomato cans to fight so that he can rest up and get his confidence back. If you look at how well Marquez and Gamboa handled Salido and then watch how Lopez struggled with him it shows you how far off Lopez is from those guys. Lopez went about fighting Salido the wrong way. He tried to take the guy out and kept doing it even though he was taking a beating by sticking with that strategy. Marquez and Gamboa changed up their game with Salido, choosing to box him after recognizing early that they wouldn’t be able to knock him out. Lopez stubbornly stuck with his original plan of trying to slug with Salido and paid the ultimate price by getting stopped.