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> There, his sparring partners were often professional boxers, such as minimum weight world champion [[Oscar Collazo (boxer)|Oscar Collazo]], complementing his formation by participating in camps abroad.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/juanmita-l-pez-de-jes-s-buscar-la-clasificaci-n-a-las-olimpiadas-de-par/article_e09ce182-a434-11ee-b3a9-e778c464350a.amp.html|title=“Juanmita” López de Jesús buscará la clasificación a las Olimpiadas de París 2024|author=Gabriel Quiles|publisher=El Vocero|language=Spanish|date=January 3, 2024|accessdate=July 12, 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 AlexÁlex 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/>

After winning a bronze medal at the Continental Championship, the Federation began considering him and Carlos de León as top priority for the upcoming Olympic trials, integrating both to the training sessions of the senior national team despite neither being 18 years old at the moment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/juanmita-de-jes-s-y-carlos-de-le-n-j-venes-apuestas-de-puerto-rico/article_859674ea-8253-11ee-ac1f-fb1c0aae2d38.amp.html|title=Juanmita De Jesús y Carlos De León, jóvenes apuestas de Puerto Rico para los Juegos Olímpicos|author=Giovanny Vega|publisher=El Vocero|language=Spanish|date=November 16, 2023|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> In December 2023, López won the adult Puerto Rico National Championship at the Juan Evangelista Venegas Tournament, winning the opportunity to fight for a berth at Paris 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.noticel.com/deportes/boxeo/20231218/juanmita-lopez-y-eliezer-brito-entre-los-campeones-nacionales-del-evangelista-venegas/ |title= Juanmita López y Eliezer Brito entre los campeones nacionales del Evangelista Venegas|author=|publisher=NotiCel|language=Spanish|date= December 18, 2023|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> In his senior debut he bested former national flyweight champion Yadiel Díaz (3:2). López, who had gathered an amateur record of 55-10 (5 Kos) which included a three year undefeated streak in Puerto Rico, joined the adult national team despite not meeting the minimum age requirement until the last week of that month.<ref name=FYO/> In March2024, López entered the [[2024 World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 1]], receiving a bye for the first round. He was then matched against [[Dmytro Zamotayev]] of Ukraine, winning with scores of 4:1. In Round 3, López outpointed [[Ramón Quiroga (boxer)|Ramón Quiroga]] of Argentina (4:1).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/juanma-l-pez-de-jes-s-clasifica-a-los-juegos-ol-mpicos-par-s-2024/article_c54c398c-dfda-11ee-8c40-573eedf6efb2.html|title=Juanma López De Jesús clasifica a los Juegos Olímpicos París 2024|author=Giovanny Vega| publisher=El Vocero|language=Spanish|date=March 11, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> In the final, he defeated Kim Inkyu of South Korea (3:2), to secure his classification.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/es/noticias/juanma-lopez-de-jesus-pasos-padre-boxeo-olimpico-cuota-paris-2024|title=JUANMA LÓPEZ DE JESÚS SIGUE LOS PASOS DE SU PADRE EN EL BOXEO OLÍMPICO| author=Marta Martín |publisher=Olympics.com|language=Spanish|date=March 11, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> By winning this berth, López established several records within the Puerto Rico National Boxing Program, becoming the youngest boxer (at age 18) to join the Olympic boxing delegation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lasemanapr.com/post/pabellón-de-la-fama-celebra-clasificación-ol%C3%ADmpica-de-juanmita-lópez|title=Pabellón de La Fama celebra clasificación olímpica de Juanmita López| author=|publisher=La Semana|language=Spanish|date= March 21, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> Along López Sr., he is also part of the first father-son Olympic duo in the program, a feat that they celebrated by tattooing the [[Olympic symbols#Rings|five rings]] on their arms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/el-boxeador-juanma-lopez-hijo-se-suma-a-la-delegacion-de-puerto-rico-para-los-juegos-olimpicos-de-paris-2024/?utm_campaign=Deportes&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter|title=El boxeador Juanma López, hijo, se suma a la delegación de Puerto Rico para los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024|author= Sara Del Valle Hernández |publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=March 11, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/juanma-lopez-hijo-convence-a-su-padre-para-tatuarse-los-aros-olimpicos/|title=Juanma López, hijo, convence a su padre para tatuarse los aros olímpicos|author=Sara Del Valle Hernández|publisher=El Nuevo Día|language=Spanish|date=April 24, 2024|accessdate=July 9, 2024}}</ref> Immediately after classifying, López began an intensive five-month training.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/video-juanma-l-pez-de-jes-s-afronta-cinco-meses-intensos-previo-a-los-juegos/article_9e4661d0-e6f3-11ee-b467-1b128a2ded64.html|title=Juanma López De Jesús afronta cinco meses intensos previo a los Juegos Olímpicos|author=Giovanny Vega|publisher=El Vocero|language=Spanish|date=March 21, 2024|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref> Due to his age, he is considering staying for another Olympic cycle, something that the COPUR wholly expects as he is a cornersytonecornerstone of its boxing program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/notas/sara-rosario-sobre-juanma-lopez-hijo-nos-puede-dar-un-ciclo-completo-mas/|title=Sara Rosario sobre Juanma López, hijo: "Nos puede dar un ciclo completo más"| author=Fernando Ribas Reyes|publisher=Primera Hora|language=Spanish|date=March 13, 2024 |accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref>