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CASHING IN
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
For the first time in his professional career, boxer Popo Salinas will fight on a rare Tuesday when the super featherweight meets Duarn Vue on Sept. 26 at the Cannery Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
The fight will be televised on FOX Sports 1. A win for the Youngstown boxer (8-1, 8 KOs) could mean a pay-per-view opportunity his next time out.
If he’s feeling the pressure with so much riding on the outcome, his poker face demeanor is revealing very little.
“I’m really excited to be fighting on Fox Sports because it’s just a great opportunity for me,” Salinas said. “When I win, a pay-per-view fight is on the table and that would be a huge step in my career.”
Jack Loew, Salinas’ trainer, sees no problem in letting Salinas know what is riding on the outcome with Vue (12-0-2, 4 KOs).
“This is Popo’s 10th professional fight, but the money in his 11th fight with a win will be four or possibly five times as much, which is a huge step for him,” Loew said. “Some think that I am putting a lot of pressure on Popo, but I want him to know what’s exactly at stake.
“They won’t give us much details, but the fight is a big one and will take place in December. Popo would be the opening bout. “The last fight on Fox television drew 1.25 million viewers so this is definitely a huge audience for us,” Loew said.
His only loss came on Sept. 18, 2015 to Oscar Duarte in Los Angeles at the Belasco Theater. Since then, he’s won five straight. His eight victories have been knockouts.
Salinas is anxious to get into the ring with Vue and place that first blemish on his record.
“I’ve been training hard for the past three months,” Salinas said. “I’m prepared, ready to go and feel like we have the right fighter in front of us.
“I’ve watched a lot of video on Duarn and he throws wild punches in a close fight,” he said. “I have to be careful and just keep my defense up.”
With just four knockouts and two draws in his 14 fights, Vue’s KO ratio is 29. He’ll be going up against the architect of an 89 KO ratio and a fighter who has no less than three game plans from which he can draw.
“He’s like a bully in the ring, but it’s now going to be how he will react to me and my strength,” Salinas said. “We’ll see if he can handle my power and if he cannot, then we’ll go for the KO when the opportunity is right.
“Plan B is to box him, move around, slip and dodge his punches.”
According to Salinas, the opportunity to study Vue in videos has been most helpful.
“I’ve gone into my other fights blind, so being able to study him and his tendencies has been a tremendous help in my preparation,” he said. “Seeing him fight helps because the one thing that I have noticed is that he seems to fight the same way every time.”
The height disparity between the two fighters (Salinas is 5 foot 9 while Vue is 5-3) will favor Salinas.
Loew’s scouting report has been dissected and taken apart multiple times over the past several months.
“Duarn never takes a backward step,” Loew said. “I look at his opponents and his career has been guided well, but he’s never been tested.
“It’s a crossroads fight for both boxers and Vue will be tested by Popo, only Popo has much more to lose,” Loew said. “You move a boxer on because of his talent and mentality and Popo is definitely ready to move on.”
At 22 years old, Salinas has been working with Loew since he was 8.
Loew says Vue is a perfect stepping stone at this stage in Salinas’ career.
“He’s dangerous with a taller guy, so we have to keep him at jabs length until we can touch him with other things,” Loew said. “Popo has five or six inches on him and he’s much stronger,.
“We want him to adjust to us and not us to him,” Loew said. “If you have power and the other boxer doesn’t, then you’re a step up on your opponent.
“Popo has that power.”