Martinez vs Juarez in Super Flyweight Title Fight in Mexico
By Felipe Leon
In boxing many times you don’t get to choose your opportunity, you take what you can get. That is exactly what happened to Lourdes “Pequeña Lulu” Juarez (30-2, 4KO) of Mexico City, Mexico.
Despite campaigning at the flyweight limit of 112 pounds for the majority of her professional career and currently ranked as the #1 contender in that weight class, Juarez will go up three pounds to challenge Guadalupe “Lupita” Martinez (20-9, 6KO), of Tlalnepantla, Mexico, for the WBC super flyweight world title.
The scheduled ten-round championship fight will take place this Saturday night, December 12th, from the Mexico City studios of Mexican meg-channel Televisa. The fight is presented by Promociones del Pueblo in association with Cancun Boxing.
Juarez, the younger sister of legendary three-divisional world champion Mariana “Barbie” Juarez, has been looking and asking for a world title opportunity for years. Many thought, including her, it would come against the current WBC flyweight champion Ibeth “Roca” Zamora but instead Juarez decided not to wait any longer. In her seven-year-old career, Juarez, 33, has won fights against the likes of Jackie Calvo, Guadalupe Bautista, Karina and Diana Fernandez, Kandy Sandoval twice and Noemi Bosques.
“I have waited a long time for this opportunity,” Juarez, who hasn’t tasted defeat in over six years, stated recently. “I am very motivated for this fight. That night will not only be my dream of becoming a world champion on the line but also the pride of my family. Obviously, we are very sad my sister lost but I would look to bring some happiness home.”
In her last fight on Halloween night, Mariana Juarez lost her WBC bantamweight world title via a wide unanimous decision against Yulihan Luna.
“My sister is my biggest inspiration, “Lourdes said of her sister who will be in her corner Saturday night. “I know she will win her title back and we can reign as world champions together at the same time.”
“I am anxious and excited to step into the ring Saturday night,” Juarez continued. “I want to thank ‘Lupita” for the opportunity to fight for a world title. I will look to end the night with my hand raised. I have never underestimated an opponent and obviously will not start now. I am very prepared, we are ready, and mentally ready for a war. I don’t think I am giving her an advantage in the weight; I feel fast, I have fought at super flyweight before and at this weight I feel much better, stronger and without any issues to make the weight.”
Saturday night will mark the 28-year-old Martinez’s sixth attempt in defending the title she won over three years ago. That night in May of 2017, Martinez beat the favorite Zulina “Loba” Muñoz via a closely contested unanimous decision. Since then, Martinez has defended her green and gold belt against Carlota Santos, Irma Garcia, former champion Jessica “Kika” Chavez and Debani Balderas. She also owns a win in a non-title fight against newly crowned current WBC bantamweight world champion Yulihan “Cobrita” Luna back in late 2018.
Before capturing the world title, the veteran Martinez had faced anybody and everybody who called from the likes of current IBF super bantamweight world champion Daniela “Bonita” Bermudez of Argentina to Japan’s Naoko Shibata as well as Debora Anahi Dionicius, Linda Laura Lecca and Ava Knight, all of them in world title bouts. During her pro career, Martinez has faced a total of 11 world champions.
“Because of my children I am a world champion and will continue to be,” Martinez said of her two children, Jacobo and Ximena. “They are my motivation to get up every morning at dawn to run, to train very hard but I do it with pleasure because I want the best for them now and in the future.
“I feel great, I feel strong,” Martinez continued. “I am prepared, motivated and focused. Lourdes is a very good fighter; great opponent and I can see that she is ready for this fight. We both have a very clear objective. I am going to win and reign at super flyweight for a long time.”
Since its announcement just a mere couple of weeks ago, the championship fight has captured the imagination of female boxing fans across the world but more so in Mexico as both fighters are well known in their home country.
“When two Mexican women face each other in a ring, you are guaranteed a lot of emotion and quality,” Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, stated regarding the fight. “This fight will raise the level not only of female boxing but of boxing in general.”
Saturday night can be one for the record books if Juarez is able to beat the favorite Martinez, she would go down in history along with Mariana as the first set of Mexican sisters to hold full-fledged absolute world titles. The Torres sisters, Ana Maria and Silvia, came close when the younger of the two held the interim WBA light flyweight title. Puerto Rican Amanda and Cindy Serrano as well as Argentinean Daniela and Evelyn Bermudez have accomplished the feat.
##