By Dan Ambrose: Juan Manuel Lopez (31-1, 28 KO’s) will be trying to avenge his defeat from last April while at the same time trying to recapture his World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title against champion Orlando Salido (37-11-2, 25 KO’s) on Saturday night at the at the Caliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Lopez, 28, wasn’t supposed to lose to the 31-year-old Salido last April, but he quickly found out that he couldn’t stand up to Salido’s big right hands that he was able to hit Lopez with again and again even in the earliest of rounds. Lopez must have thought he walk through Salido and make short work of him, because he never abandoned his original game plan of trying to out-slug the tough Mexican despite things starting to unravel for him beginning in the 6th round when Salido hurt Lopez with a big right hand to the head and followed up with some additional right hand shots that had Lopez blinking after the round and looking like he was spaced out.

Lopez was eventually hurt again in the 8th round and was getting pounded before Salido when the fight was halted. It was a good thing the fight was stopped when it was because it was going to go really bad for him if the referee hadn’t stepped in when he did.

Lopez has worked himself into excellent shape for the rematch and judging by his physique, I’d say he intends on trying to box Salido this time around rather than slugging. Lopez isn’t really a boxer and I don’t expect for him to stick to the script for very long without veering off and trying to go toe-to-toe with Salido like he did last time. This will be all Salido needs to hurt Lopez with a big right hand and blast away at him until the fight is halted. It takes a ton of discipline to make huge changes in your fighting style and I don’t see Lopez as having that discipline.