We recently reported that Rafael Marquez sustained an injury on his right thumb while getting out a public bus in Mexico. Now his highly anticipated fight against Juan Manuel Lopez is now in jeopardy.
The good news is that instead of canceling the fight or replacing Marquez, the fight will be rescheduled for October 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, four weeks after the original date.
“Naturally, we’re disappointed. Fortunately, Marquez’s injury isn’t too serious,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef said. “We have already discussed the situation with the MGM Grand and Showtime and they both are working with us to find a new mutually acceptable date.”
“I’m very disappointed, but I know that these things happen in boxing,” Lopez said in a statement issued by his promoter, Top Rank. “I hope the fight gets rescheduled soon and look forward to fighting Rafael Marquez.”
Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs) will be making the third defense of the WBO title he won with an impressive seventh-round knockout of Steven Luevano in January. Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) is coming off a victory over Israel Vazquez that capped their epic rivalry.
Respectful man!, not like cintron… 😉
@EZ well Said!
GREAT NEWS!! Yes, we’ll STILL be in for a treat… although 4 weeks later but I’m sure that it will be worth the wait.
In a recent interview Lopez stated that NO ONE can replace “El Gran Rafael Marquez” as he put it. Not Caballero, not Gamboa or anyone else at featherweight. Nobody has Rafa’s credentials, Juanma declared. He said that during his amateur days that Tito and then Rafa we two of his favorite fighters. “Nunca pense que me iba enfrentar a Rafael Marquez, quien era unos de mis favoritos, todavia lo es pero esto es negocio” or.. “I never imagined that I would ever face off against Rafael Marquez, who happened to be one of my favorites, he still is but this is business”.
He added, “I consider it an honor to be matched with him in such an important fight which the whole boxing world is anxiously waiting for to happen. I am giving him the oportunity to take my title but at the same time I am also grateful to him for the oportunity he is giving me to prove that I will be as good him and hopefully better”
Very classy and respectful interview. Sure, they both might get up caught up a bit in the hype as the fight draws close but BOTH know and ACCEPT that their rival is world class and have to be at their best come fight night.
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