Juan Carrillo has warned Najee Lopez that it will be he, and not his August 29 opponent, who will become “the next superstar”.
Plenty is expected of Lopez, the light heavyweight who in March turned in a fight-of-the-year performance to outlast Manuel Gallegos on ProBox TV. But it is Colombia’s Carrillo who likely has the superior education that includes being a 2016 Olympian and fighting the likes of Frank Sanchez, Julio Cesar La Cruz, David Morrell and Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam in the amateur ranks.
Last time out, the 33-year-old southpaw moved to 15-0 (11 KOs) when he knocked out the 8-0 Marlon Delgado on the May undercard of David Benavidez-Gilberto Ramirez in Las Vegas. Now he heads to the Galen Center in Los Angeles in the hope of stealing the ProBox TV show.
“He’s playing with my family’s food,” Carrillo said of Lopez, 16-0 (13 KOs). “I am going to go out there and show the world that I am the next big name out there and gonna be the next superstar.
“I’m very excited. I’m very happy to be part of this event. All the Latinos in this area are going to enjoy a great night of boxing.
“Everybody come out August 29. You’re going to see a great spectacle.”
Carrillo’s trainer, the greatly respected Bob Santos, revealed the versatility in his charge while also paying tribute to Puerto Rico’s Lopez.
“I love [Carrillo’s] ability to fight on all three levels. He can fight on the inside; he can fight at a distance; he can fight at the mid-range. So, what is there not to love? You know, you got a Colombian, Olympian southpaw, and a full-grown man in his prime, so we’re expecting a tremendous fight. We know Najee’s a tremendous talent, too. The winner is going to be the fans, so we’re really excited about that.”
Lopez, however, feels no pressure as he heads into what could be his last fight before securing a shot at a world title.
“Every fight now is a tough fight,” Lopez said. “But this fight lines me up. It gives me a line for a world title, so I’m really excited. [Carrillo is] definitely a good fighter, a smart guy, but I’m just too smart, too fast, too strong. And the question is, will he be able to handle it?
“There’s no pressure at all. I put the work in, my team, we focus. We’re super focused. We are super locked in for whatever challenges is in our way. It’s just the journey. So, I understand that every fight, from now on, is gonna be on that level.”
Like his opponent, Lopez has been fighting for a long time. The fruits of his labor are now within touching distance.
“Man, my grandparents is from Puerto Rico, from the island,” Lopez, 26, explained. “My dad was my trainer and my teacher. Everything he taught me was from those roots. So, every time I walk in a walk in a ring, not only am I representing where I’m from, Atlanta, Georgia, but I also, when you have the last name Lopez, I’m representing the island. I’m representing my roots. Puerto Rico has to know I love my people. I [represent] my last name with everything in me.
“Shout out to ProBox. It’s going to be an amazing card. August 29. Be there.”
“Najee has a great foundation,” added his coach, Marc Farrait. “Najee is a kid that gives everything in the gym, very disciplined outside the ring. Najee is easy to train. As you saw in this last fight, if you train hard, you’re disciplined and you’re devoted to the sport, you have outcomes like his last fight.”
