Photos by Big Joe Miranda

Undefeated WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez and two-division world champion Rafael Marquez faced off today at a kickoff news conference at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles to announce their September 18 showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The latest in the great rivalry between Puerto Rican and Mexican boxers, Juanma compared his showdown with Marquez to the Trinidad-De La Hoya epic. “This will also be a great fight, but with a big difference: I’ll win by knockout!” Marquez simply said he’ll be well prepared and promised “a sensational show.” The bout will be televised by SHOWTIME in the first week of a tremendous run of boxing on the network.