Juarez Sisters Back in Action
One might think as the year is winding down many fighters would like to relax and reflect on the past 12 months and prepare for the upcoming 2017. If a fighter is lucky, they might even pick up an easy fight before the holiday season to ensure their family enjoys the last quarter of the year. If you are the Juarez sisters, former world champion Mariana and up and coming prospect Lourdes, you throw all that out the window and prepare to face quite possibly the toughest opposition of the year.
The 36-year-old Mariana “Barbie” Juarez (43-9-4, 17KO) of Mexico City is arguably the most famous female fighter in Mexican boxing history surpassing contemporaries Jackie Nava and Ana Maria Torres, both retired for the moment, with her outside the ring activities such as Playboy Magazine, provocative calendars and acting stints on Mexican TV among things.
In an 18 year career that began in 1998, “Barbie” has had one of her toughest years in 2016. Even though she went 2-1 so far, she is coming off a loss in her first real foray in a new division, the 118-pound category, in her last fight.
After capturing a world title in the flyweight division and an international one in the super flyweight category, Juarez never got an opportunity to face the reigning WBC 115-pound champion Zulina “Loba” Muñoz for the top spot even after the fight was talked about. This year she decided to go up the three pounds to the bantamweight division but ran into the tough experienced Argentinean Daniela Bermudez and suffered her ninth loss of her career via a unanimous decision last August.
Juarez boxed well in the opening rounds of that fight as she used lateral movement and swift combinations to not only confuse the more stationary Bermudez but beat her to the punch. That didn’t last long as the veteran Juarez began to slow down in the middle rounds as Bermudez began to catch her with hard straight punches down the middle. By the second half, it was all Bermudez as it actually looked as if she would knock out “Barbie” by the later stages of the fight, but the courageous Juarez held on until the final bell. Scores were a resounding 97-93 twice and a slightly closer 96-94. The size and reach of Bermudez, who has fought from 108-118 pounds but seemed to carry the weight better, is what seemed to bother Juarez the most during the fight.
Despite all that Juarez is ready to give it another go at the weight limit but instead of perhaps going softer in her opposition, she might have gone up a notch.
Juarez is slated to face former WBA bantamweight champion Irma “Torbellino”Garcia (16-1-1, 3KO) on December 17th from the Oasis Arena in Cancun, Mexico, live on Televisa in Mexico. Garcia’s day job is Federal officer for the Mexican government but by night she is a world-class fighter with wins over the likes of female boxing pioneer Laura Serrano, Janeth Perez for the aforementioned title, Simone Da Silva Duarte and Ana Maria Lozano. Along the way, the 34-year-old Garcia, who is trained by the famed Nacho Beristain, captured the WBC’s International bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Yesenia Tovar in late 2015.
This year Garcia, also of Mexico City, has gone a perfect 3-0, 2KO, with her last fight, an eighth round TKO over Leticia Uribe, in late October.
The match has all the markings of a crossroads fight with the winner a step closer to a world title opportunity. If Juarez wins, it will prove her loss to Bermudez was an off night and that she truly belongs in the division. A loss more than likely convinces her the 118-pound weight limit is not for her and make her decide whether she continues to fight or goes back to the super flyweight division.
Before “Barbie” Juarez faces Garcia, her younger sister Lourdes will take on her toughest opponent to date in the vastly more experienced Noemi “NoNo” Bosques (11-8-2, 2KO) of St. Petersburg, Florida. The bout will take place on December 3rd in Acapulco and it will be televised live in Mexico by mega-channel Televisa.
“Pequeña Lulu” as Lourdes is known barely stepped up to eight rounders earlier this year after going pro in late 2013 with three consecutive wins. After two early back-to-back losses in 2014, Lourdes has strung together 14 straight wins while become a darling of the Mexican boxing audience. Her fight against Bosques will mark her sixth fight this year. Promociones Del Pueblo has kept her busy in her development. Her last fight against Yesenia Gomez in September was deemed a no-contest after her opponent suffered a cut from a head-butt early on.
No opponent in her 20-bout career matches the experience Bosques brings to the table. In just her last five fights, Bosques has fought for WBC international super flyweight title against none other than Mariana Juarez herself, Michelle Preston in New Zealand, Alesia Graf in China, Amariis Adorno in Florida and Rosalinda Rodriguez for the NABF bantamweight title in North Carolina this past October. Despite Bosques going 1-4 in those last five fights, she still brings enough to the table to make Lourdes’ night a long one.
“I am anxious to travel to Acapulco, it will be the second time I fight in that city,” Lourdes Juarez said recently. “I am motivated to fight Noemi, my sister already beat her and I have studied her very well. I can assure you I will come out with my hand raised. My boxing has improved with my new trainer Fermin Hernandez and I am at my peak.”
As far as the 33-year-old Bosques, who went pro in 2012, she does not seem the least bit worried about facing the sister of a fighter that already bested her.
“This will be my revenge, I have more experience and hit harder than Lulu. I am coming to win and I will prove ‘No-No’ Bosques can do it. I know I am giving up the advantage of the home canvas and that is why I will make it very clear to the judges that I won.”
Bosques, who in 21 fights has waged war in eight cities not her own, knows that being the visitor puts her at a disadvantage.
“Mexico loves Lourdes and I know the only way to beat her is by knockout,” Bosques explained. “She is the favorite since she is the Mexican and we will be fighting in her country so I am going to knock her out.”
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