By Gav Duthie: Al Haymon has secured a welterweight co-feature event at the Stubhub Center, California on March 13 as part of his new network deal with SpikeTV. The card will feature two former welterweight champions on the comeback trail in tough contests.
Shawn Porter 24-1-1 (15) v Roberto Garcia 36-3 (23)
Andre Berto 29-3 (22) v Josesito Lopez 33-6 (19)
Porter v Garcia
By Dan Ambrose: A fight between former two division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KOs) and former world title challenger Josesito Lopez (33-6, 19 KOs) is being talked about for December, according to Steve Kim.
#7 IBF, #8 WBC Guerrero was passed over by Khan’s management for a fight between Khan and Devon Alexander on December 13th. Guerrero says a fight between him and Khan was never even mentioned to him despite Khan saying that Guerrero was one of the guys that was in the running for his next fight.
By Scott Gilfoid: It’s looking like non-top 15 ranked Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KOs) could be the next opponent for Amir Khan (29-3, 19 KOs) to fight in December, according to Steve Kim.
They haven’t made the fight yet, but it’s going to depend a lot on how Lopez looks in his fight this Thursday night against an opponent still to be determined on September 11th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Lopez, 30, still doesn’t have an opponent scheduled for the fight, but it’s just a stay busy fight for him so it really doesn’t matter.
By Scott Gilfoid: Unranked former world title challenger Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KOs) could be the next opponent for Amir Khan (29-3, 19 KOs) to fight in December, according to Steve Kim.
It’s kind of a surprising opponent if Lopez ends up as the next guy that Khan faces, because we’ve been hearing Khan speak about potentially facing the likes of Devon Alexander and Robert Guerrero for his December fight. At least with those guys, they’re ranked in the top 15. Lopez has lost 3 out of his last 6 fights in the past three years.
“My understanding is that Josesito Lopez to fight on Sept 11 in Las Vegas, could be in line to face Amir Khan in December,” Steve Kim said on his twitter.
By Allan Fox: In a sign that he could wind up as the likely opponent for either Adrien Broner or Lucas Matthysse, former world title challenger Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KO’s) says that he’ll be fighting on September 6th. The venue and the opponent still haven’t been revealed by Golden Boy Promotions, but Broner, Matthysse and Andre Berto have all said that they’ll be fighting on the same card.
Showtime vice president Stephen Espinoza ruled out Broner fighting Matthysse on the card. He says both guys will be in separate fights on the card. However, it’s not likely that Berto will be fighting Broner or Matthysse, because he’s coming off of a year-long layoff after having shoulder surgery.
By Jim Dower: Welterweight Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KO’s) halted Aaron Martinez (19-3-1, 4 KO’s) in the 5th round on Thursday night after Martinez turned his back on Lopez after getting hurt at the Agua Caliente Casino, in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Lopez, 29, trapped the light hitting Martinez in the corner in the 5th round, and hurt him with a left to the body followed by a left hook to the head.
After getting hit with the left to the head, Martinez turned his back to Lopez and put his hands up behind his head to protect himself. At that point referee Jack Reiss rushed in and halted the fight at 1:19 of the round. Martinez tried to protest the stoppage, but Reiss wasn’t having any of it, saying “You abandoned the fight. You turned your back on your opponent.” Martinez kept saying “No.”
By Allan Fox: Welterweight Josesito Lopez (31-6, 18 KO’s) will be fighting tonight against 32-year-old Aaron Martinez (19-2-1, 4 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout at the Agua Caliente Casino, in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Lopez, 29, has lost 3 out of his last 5 fights, and he’s at the point where he needs to some drastic to turn things around. The Martinez fight won’t do much because Martinez isn’t a 1st tier fighter and this more of a stay busy fight for Lopez. However, Lopez needs a solid win because he’s not looked good recently in defeats against Marcos Maidana and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Lopez can’t let Martinez make this a difficult fight, because he’s clearly a level above Martinez in the power and talent department. A loss for Lopez in this fight could hurt his chances of being useful as a gatekeeper/trial horse type of fighter for other big named fighters. Right now, Lopez is doing well in getting fights against the big names and giving them a decent fight before losing.
By Jim Dower: Former two time world title challenger Josesito Lopez (31-6, 18 KO’s) was able to overcome a shaky performance to defeat 34-year-old Mike Arnaoutis (24-10-1, 11 KO’s) by an 8 round technical decision on Friday night at the Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, California, USA. The final judges scores were 77-74, 77-74, 76-75.
By Dan Ambrose: Welterweight Josesito Lopez (30-6, 18 KO’s) will be trying to stop his 2-fight losing streak next month in a scheduled 10-round fight against 34-year-old journeyman Mike Arnaoutis at the Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, California, USA.
Both fighters are coming off of losses, but Lopez has lost to the much better opposition in stoppage defeats against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. In contrast, Arnaoutis has lost his last two fights against Chris Algieri and Issouf Kinda.
Lopez can’t fall apart and lose this fight if he wants to remain as a viable trial horse for the top fighters, which is kind of what Lopez’s career has turned into since he moved up to 147. He doesn’t have the power or the speed to beat the top welterweights, and he probably should move back down to 140 if he wants to have any chance at winning a world title.
By Allan Fox: Having lost 3 out of his last 4 fights, Josesito Lopez (30-6, 18 KO’s) will be back in action in November against Aaron Martinez (19-2-1, 4 KO’s) in a still to be determined date and venue, according to RingTV.
Lopez, 29, is hoping that he can land a rematch against Victor Ortiz, who he stopped in the 9th round last year in June. However, it’s not likely that Lopez will get that fight anytime soon because Ortiz is taking his time in coming back after suffering two complete fractures of his jaw in the loss to Lopez.
Lopez was stopped in the 6th round by Marcos Maidana last June. Lopez made the mistake of trying to slug with the harder punching Maidana, and it led to him getting blown apart by Maidana in the 6th. Lopez did hurt Maidana briefly with a hard body shot, but Maidana was able to recover and come back to get the stoppage victory.