Corona/Riverside, CA: Josesito Lopez is looking for his own star as an opening act on Starpower

"With all that hoopla surrounding his ring return, I am afraid Money Mayweather might just stink up the joint and get on his bicycle and pot shot Victor Ortiz to death," said Big Steve as he swallowed a big bite of a Bad Boy sub we both ordered at Mario's Italian Deli on Broadway:" Better tell me about our local boy, Josesito Lopez who will open up the show. Have you ever seen him fight?"

Riverside's Josesito Lopez has come up the professional ranks the hard way learning the ropes while fighting tough fights on club shows at Inland Empire of Southern California.

"I've got a lot of experience here in my back yard," said twenty eight years old Lopez when I caught up with him on Friday during one of those shows in Corona:" I am from Riverside. I fought in Corona and Riverside for a lot of years. This is definitely where my roots started from."

Since scoring a first round knock out over Allen Litzau in his professional debut in February of 2003 Josesito Lopez has amassed a record of 29 wins, 3 losses and 17 knock outs. Young veteran fighter is ready for a big stage.

"I got a big fight with Jessie Vargas, a tough, good fighter," said Lopez about his September 17th showdown with an undefeated prospect from Las Vegas:" So we are going in there 110 percent. We are ready for it. My trainer, Henry Ramirez, we have been training for a while now. We are in great shape and I just can't wait to get in there."

Three losses on Josesito's professional record might paint a deceiving picture or if you know where he comes from might tell you the truth; he was never a protected fighter. His first loss was a four rounder, very early in his career. The last time Josesito lost was in 2008 in Florida after dropping his opponent, Edgar Santana twice in the eighth round, Lopez ended up on the wrong end of a majority decision." In my heart I didn't think I lost it, said Josesito when I asked him about that fight: "But that's in the past, that's made me stronger, that's what's made me the fighter that I am now. So I definitely let go of that loss. You got to go in there and try to win every round."

Second loss in 2006 was a controversial split decision to Wes Ferguson in Las Vegas, a home town of Ferguson where some say he might have gotten the benefit of home town cooking.

Ironically Josesito's September 17th opponent is Jessie Vargas, a fighter from Las Vegas. I asked Lopez if he was worried about history repeating itself." I trust the decision that the judges will make,” replied Lopez:" I just got to go in there and try to win every round. I got to win every single round that I can and not leave it to the judges."

Facing twenty two years old, undefeated, Jessie Vargas, Lopez is considered a veteran in the fight. He plans to make a full use of his seasoning." Experience is definitely one of them," replied Lopez when I asked what he felt was his advantage in the ring:” But I think I am just overall a better fighter. I am not focusing on strength, but I think strength is an advantage, but we are just ready for whatever Jessie Vargas brings to the table."

But what does Josesito Lopez plans to bring to the table?

“Our conditioning will be a lot better. We are going to be in the best shape of our lives," replied Lopez when I asked him if they were working on something specific for the upcoming bout:" I am already in a tip top shape. So overall, we are going to be better in everything, faster, stronger, conditioning wise."

With both guys hungry for glory,” Star power” will provide the biggest stage for their professional career wit at least a million homes tuning in to watch.“I know it's a big event," said Josesito Lopez:"But I am fighting one guy and that's all I am worried about, just the guy that's in front of me."

What many consider the most stacked boxing event of this year, “Starpower”, headlining a welterweight championship fight between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz on September 17th at MGM Grand in Las Vegas will feature Josesito Lopez and Jessie Vargas as an opening bout on HBO PPV telecast. Don’t miss it as these two young guns just might steal the show.