Lopez vs Concepcion - Tonight on Showtime - 9 PM/ET

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Showtime features a battle of featherweights tonight with Puerto Rican southpaw Juan Manuel Lopez (125.3) taking on Bernabe Concepcion (125) in the main-event.  The hard hitting Lopez is heavily favored, though we might just get a decent scrap as the 22 year old Filipino is no push over.  Let's take a look at the pre-fight analysis from around the net...

Bad Left Hook - Fight Preview: Juan Manuel Lopez v. Bernabe Concepcion...

I am not going to fluff this up and try to get anyone excited about a compelling matchup. Though I have both of these guys rated in the top 10 at 126 -- Lopez second, Concepcion eighth -- there is a gulf of difference in their abilities. Lopez is truly at the top of the weight class, while Concepcion, simply put, is not. Concepcion is closer to whomever I might rank No. 20 or so than he is to Lopez, in my view, and I think this fight will prove that.

The Cruelest Sport - Juan Manuel Lopez-Bernabe Concepcion Preview...

Concepcion is a good fighter, but he has—at least on paper—few edges, if any, over Lopez. He is slower than Lopez, hits with less power, has an inconsistent jab, and suffers from shortfalls in height and reach. He might have a slight edge in mobility and, to an extent, footwork, but his only real chance in this fight appears to be his counterpunching ability. Lopez occasionally throws combinations while standing straight up with his chin jutting out, inviting the possibility of getting caught clean with return fire. He also has little head movement.

The Queensbury Rules - Somewhere In Between: Juan Manuel Lopez Vs. Bernabe Concepcion Preview And Prediction...

Amid a dry summer stretch for boxing, this sunshower is refreshing, even if it still burns that Top Rank Promotions dangled Lopez-Gamboa then Gamboa-Caballero in front of us only to then snatch it away. At minimum, it's a chance to see a top-flight boxer in action, something in sparse supply of late, and if it works out the way I expect it could, it might be action-packed if not brief.

The Boxing Tribune - Can JuanMa Pass His Final Exam...

Concepcion is the first fighter JuanMa has ever faced that will not be at a decided physical disadvantage from the very beginning. The 22-year old Concepcion is strong, quick and confident, but has the focus expected of a fighter his age. As demonstrated by his DQ loss to Steven Luevano for hitting late, he often has lapses in concentration and outages of brain power. If he snoozes on Lopez, he will be put to sleep, but the script can be flipped on that statement as well; If Lopez snoozes on Concepcion, it’ll be lights out.