As boxing fans gear up for a highly-anticipated rematch on Saturday night between Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez, Showtime's Al Bernstein brings you this brief update from the mid-week press conference in Puerto Rico.
[ Salido vs Lopez Photos & Quotes ]
I do like that Al went with calling the first fight the "upset of the year on Showtime," which I think is probably fair -- it was a big upset, but there were bigger upsets last year. Not on Showtime, though, I don't think. Good play.
Salido (37-11-2, 25 KO) is actually coming in a bit weaker here than he was last year, in some ways. Despite the fact that he still holds the WBO featherweight title he won from Lopez last April, his last fight was more escaped than won, as unheralded Weng Haya of the Philippines went to Mexico and put a huge scare into Salido in a non-title fight at 130 pounds, flooring the gritty Mexican twice before getting stopped in the eighth round.
Lopez (31-1, 28 KO) has fought just once since losing to Salido, and frankly to call his two-round wipeout of Mike Oliver in October a "fight" would be generous, as it went exactly according to script with Oliver's chinny-chin-chin failing him as expected.
Showtime will be re-airing the first fight tonight at 10 p.m. EST on Showtime Extreme, and don't forget that the same channel will have preliminary bouts starting at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday night, prior to the featherweight double-header at 10 p.m. EST Showtime. Bad Left Hook will have live coverage of the entire televised show.