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No Bull: Giuriceo looking to win big over Lopez
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
When Jake “The Bull” Giuriceo describes his next opponent, he uses words like “humble” and “gentleman.”
When Giuriceo describes what he’s planning to do to him, he’s not quite as nice.
“I want to win big,” said the Campbell native. “I plan on pressuring him and taking him out of his comfort zone and making him fight my fight.”
Giuriceo (7-0-1, 2 KOs) will meet Orlando’s Roberto Lopez (4-0-2) in a six-round welterweight bout in the main event of tonight’s “Rage in the Ring” at the ITAM on South Meridian.
It is Giuriceo’s first bout since beating Sam Gibson on June 30 and just his third in 2010.
“I feel really good,” he said. “This was one of the best conditioning camps I’ve had. I hardly had to lose any weight.
“I feel prepared and ready to go.”
Lopez is coming off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Xavier Burgos on June 19.
“I know he’s a good boxer but not a very hard puncher,” said Giuriceo said.
This will be fifth time Giuriceo has fought in the Mahoning Valley but this is his first time as the headliner.
He made his pro debut on the undercard of Kelly Pavlik’s fight at the then-Chevrolet Centre against Marco Antonio Rubio in February of 2009, then fought Henry White on the undercard of the Pavlik-Miguel Espino bout last December at YSU.
Tonight’s card will feature a half-dozen pro bouts as well as a half-dozen amateur fights.
Tickets are $25.