Juan Manuel López Jr.: Difference between revisions

López is the son of [[Juan Manuel López (boxer)|Juan Manuel López]], a [[Boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Olympic boxer]] and former three-division world champion whose career spanned the 2000s and 2010s, and Bárbara de Jesús.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanma-lopez-euforico-con-la-clasificacion-de-su-hijo-a-los-juegos-olimpicos-esto-es-algo-bien-grande-y-bien-importante-para-nosotros/|title=Juanma López, eufórico con la clasificación de su hijo a los Juegos Olímpicos: "Esto es algo bien grande y bien importante para nosotros"|author=Sara Del Valle Hernández|publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=March 11, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> Like his father, he was named after his grandfather. López and his sister, Belissa, were born during a decade-long prenuptial relationship, which ended after a brief marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanma-lopez-noqueado-por-dios-al-casarse-con-barbara-de-jesus/|title=Juanma López "noqueado" por Dios al casarse con Bárbara de Jesús|author=|publisher=Primera Hora|language=Spanish|date=July 17, 2010|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> Due to his constant exposure to boxing, he was always interested in practicing, being often seen in the gym.<ref name=Caraballo>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/alex-caraballo-el-entrenador-de-la-familia-olimpica-lopez-de-juanma-y-su-hijo-juanmita-son-cosas-que-todavia-no-las-asimilo/|title=Alex Caraballo, el entrenador de la familia olímpica López, de Juanma y su hijo Juanmita: “Son cosas que todavía no las asimilo”|author=Sara del Valle Hernández|publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=March 15, 2024|accessdate=July 9, 2024}}</ref> López began mimicking other boxers when he was four years old.<ref name=FYO>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanmita-lopez-quiere-labrar-su-propio-camino-en-el-boxeo/|title=“Juanmita” López quiere labrar su propio camino en el boxeo|author=Jorge Figueroa Loza|publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=January 28, 2023|accessdate=July 9, 2024}}</ref> However, his father tried to veer him away, enrolling him in other sports including karate, baseball and basketball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/videos/juanma-lopez-no-queria-que-su-hijo-boxeara-lo-puse-en-beisbol-karate-soccer-287308/|title=Juanma López no quería que su hijo boxeara: "Lo puse en béisbol, karate, soccer..."|publisher=Primera Hora|language=Spanish|date=March 24, 2024|accessdate=July 9, 2024}}</ref> These ultimately failed to capture López's long term interest and by his own admission, he did not excel in either.<ref name=sueno/> His mother supported the decision to become a boxer, with some resistance from his father.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanmita-lopez-si-no-fuera-por-ella-no-estaria-aqui/|title=Juanmita López: "Si no fuera por ella, no estaría aquí"| author=Carlos González|publisher=Primera Hora|language=Spanish|date=March 24, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> López officially began training when he was six years old, making headlines in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanmita-lopez-quiere-boxear-como-su-papa/|title=Juanmita López quiere boxear como su papá|publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=March 5, 2012|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> He shared his father's team at José Aponte Gymnasium at Caguas, Puerto Rico, where Belissa also trained.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120091233/https://www.lasemanapr.com/post/a-la-premiaci%C3%B3n-ol%C3%ADmpica-juanmita-l%C3%B3pez|title=A la premiación olímpica Juanmita López|publisher=La Semana|language=Spanish|date=January 20, 2023|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> Even as a teenager, López also enjoyed studying his father’s fights and scouting videos of his opponents, being regarded by longstanding trainer Alex Caraballo as a student of the sport.<ref name=Caraballo/> However, he was concerned with “living under [his predecessor’s] shadow”, fashioning his boxing style to be different and more technical in order to “forge [his] own path”.<ref name=FYO/>

López made his amateur debut on October 11, 2015, winning his first bout.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.quepalo.com/sube-al-ring-el-verdadero-juanma-1455/|title=Sube al ring Juanma López Jr.|author=Jonathan Gaudier|publisher=QuePalo.com|language=Spanish|date=October 11, 2015|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> He was successful during the early part of his career, during which he competed in local tournaments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metro.pr/pr/noticias/2016/02/27/juanmita-se-apunta-una-victoria.html?outputType=amp|title="Juanmita" se apunta una victoria|author=|publisher=Metro Puerto Rico|language=Spanish|date=February 26, 2016|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> On August 9, 2016, López won the Puerto Rico vs. Florida 9 de agosto 2016. In 2019, López finished second in his youth division at the Puerto Rico National Championships. On July 10, 2019, López won his division at the Billy Thompson Tournament. He finished the year by defeating the Dominican Representative at the República Dominicana vs. Puerto Rico tournament held on December 6, 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic halted sports in Puerto Rico for some time, during which López was a student-athlete at the Albergue Olímpico school at [[Salinas, Puerto Rico|Salinas]] from which he graduated with honors.<ref name=sueno>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/juanmita-l-pez-en-ruta-a-par-s-2024-cumpl-uno-de-los-sue-os/article_8d779044-f2d9-11ee-9edb-236b9d54d372.amp.html|title=Juanmita López en ruta a París 2024: “Cumplí uno de los sueños de cualquier joven”|author=Giovanny Vega|publisher=El Vocero|language=Spanish|date=April 23, 2024|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> In October 2021, López entered the XI Copa Cinturón de Oro, advancing by defeating Alan Dumacela of Ecuador (5:0).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Tournaments/GoldenBeltECU2021.pdf|title=XI COPA CINTURON DE ORO - PORTOVIEJO 2021 JUNIOR-JUVENIL MASCULINO-FEMENINA|publisher=Amateur-Boxing.Strefa.Pl|language=Spanish|date=October 23, 2021|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> He won the juvenile 48&nbsp;kg division by defeating Anthony Pupiales of Ecuador (5:0). On January 25, 2022, López became the Puerto Rico Youth National Champion. At the Copa Independencia, an exhibition tournament for the national team, López finished second.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://almomento.net/rd-y-santiago-ganan-en-el-boxeo-juvenil-de-la-copa-independencia/|title=RD y Santiago ganan en el Boxeo Juvenil de la Copa Independencia| author= |publisher=AlMomento.net|language=Spanish|date= February 25, 2022|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> The first week of April 2022, he won the Torneo de Desarrollo and Torneo de Barranquitas, both local events. During the summer, López won the Puerto Rico International Cup and Copa Olímpica. López competed at the minimumweight division (46–48&nbsp;kg) of the 2022 IBA Youth Boxing Championships, winning his debut over Luka Beshliogli of Georgia (5:0).<ref name=YWC2022>{{cite web|url=http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/WorldJuniorChamps2022.pdf|title=IBA Youth Men's and Women's World Boxing Championships '22 La Nucia - Spain|publisher=International Boxing Association|date=November 26, 2022|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> In his next fight, he defeated Csaba Zsigo of Hungary by third-round stoppage.<ref name=YWC2022/> López outpointed Talat Yagli of Turkey (5:0) to advance. He secured the bronce medal, losing to Vishvanath Suresh of India by decision 1:4.<ref name=YWC2022/> The [[Puerto Rico Olympic Committee]] (COPUR) gave him the 2022 Best Amateur Boxer Award for his performance during the year.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://wipr.pr/a-celebrar-la-excelencia-deportiva-del-olimpismo-del-2022/|title=A celebrar la excelencia deportiva del olimpismo del 2022|language=Spanish|publisher=WIPR|date=January 24, 2023|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> In February 2023, he repeated as youth national champion. In June 2023, López entered the Puerto Rico International Cup, where he represented his gym and won the flyweight division by defeating incumbent youth flyweight world champion Ari Bonilla of Mexico (3:2).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609023947/https://www.lasemanapr.com/post/gran-victoria-para-juanma-lópez|title=Gran victoria para Juanma López|author=Jorge L. Pérez|publisher=La Semana|language=Spanish| date=June 9, 2023|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref>