Orlando Salido Reportedly Trying to Push Back Juan Manuel Lopez Rematch

Though a working date of October 15 has been passed around, and Team Lopez are also open to October 1, Rey Colon reports that featherweight titlist Orlando Salido is still looking to push back a rematch with Juan Manuel Lopez. Salido upset Lopez on April 16 in Puerto Rico, lifting his belt and taking his undefeated record.

Since the first fight, Lopez (30-1, 27 KO) has been angling for a rematch as soon as possible. He tried to line it up in August, but Salido (36-11-2, 24 KO) wanted to make a defense in Mexico first, sort of a homecoming fight with the belt after knocking off the Puerto Rican rival. That seemed entirely fair and reasonable, and Salido did just that on July 23, beating Japan's Kenichi Yamaguchi via TKO-11.

But now, Colon says, sources close to Salido indicate that he wants to make one or two more title defenses at home before rematching Lopez, which will likely happen back in Puerto Rico.

I don't think there's so much a problem with this strategy by Salido as there is a possible, mild damage to his reputation. Lopez has been pushing for the rematch basically since the fight ended, while Salido keeps trying to put it off, if these sources are correct. It's tough to blame a 30-year-old battler who wasn't supposed to win for trying to milk his time on top, but at the same time, I think we'd all prefer to see him actually rematch Lopez, still a top contender, than take on mediocre challengers, which is the likely scenario if he does make more title defenses instead of fighting Lopez again.