Juan Manuel Lopez says bout with Gamboa would be very important 'like Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather'

Juan Manuel Lopez has been out of action since losing in March to Orlando Salido in their fantastic rematch. In part his layoff is due to a suspension for accusing that fight's referee of tilting the fight against him due to a gambling addiction and also due to a few planned fights falling through. He recently turned down a fight with Diego Magdaleno for January 19.

But that isn't stopping JuanMa from saying some crazy things, like this quote he gave on Boxing Scene's The Boxing Lab radio show:

"I am still very interested in facing Gamboa. It is a very important fight like Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather. It is a fight that needs to happen. We both need the fight. Hopefully it can happen at 130 or 135. When it will happen I don't know but I want it to happen before my career is over,"

...wow.

Look, I'd watch Lopez vs. Gamboa and be pretty happy about it. Gamboa fighting anybody is worth noting at this point. But...like Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather?

For starters, Lopez lost 2 of his last three, both to Salido. Meanwhile, three fights ago (and more than two years at this point), Gamboa beat an absurdly heavy Salido.

But, more importantly, it's not like Pacquiao vs. Mayweather in terms of "gotta happen" because there's no one clamoring for it.

Besides, Gamboa is busy barking up his own ain't-gonna-happen tree looking for a fight with Mayweather.

Lopez did say that he'd be open to fighting Gary Russell Jr., should Russell be willing to come up to 130 pounds for the bout.