At the age of 26, Juan is a 4 1/2 -year pro. A hard-hitting lefthander, he won the vacant IBF jr. welterweight world title in his last fight in June, 2006.
The title was vacated when Ricky Hatton, who beat defending champion Kostya Tszyu for the title in June, 2005, did not make his mandatory defense against IBF No. 1 ranked Naoufel Ben Rabah, and Ben Rabah fought No. 3 ranked Juan for the vacant title.
It was Juan's first fight in 10 months, the longest layoff of his career. He had surgery on his left hand on January 31, 2006, and was cleared by his surgeon to resume training on April 3, 2006.
Co-manager Luis Navarro said, "It wasn't a break. His middle knuckle on his left hand, over time, built up some cartilage and scarring from hitting. It turns in almost like a scab, like a calcium deposit, but underneath your skin. So when he would hit, it would just rub and cause a light stinging. So, the doctors recommended that he remove the build-up and he decided to have it done."
Juan said through an interpreter, "I'm an aggressive fighter, a crowd-pleaser. I keep coming forward. I never watch tapes, because everybody trains different for each opponent. I take one round to figure a guy out, I'll study him in the first round. I have a plan right after that. I know what I know in the ring, I'm ready for anybody. It's just about working hard, fighting, wearing down my opponent and beating him.
"This has been a much anticipated opportunity for me. I've been waiting for this for my whole life, and with the glory of God and the guidance of God, I feel that I will reach the heights that I need to reach."
Juan has now won four fights in a row, all by knockout, since fighting to a draw against Mike Arnaoutis in August, 2004.
Regarding his nickname, literally translated as "Twins of Iron," Juan said, "I've been called that since I was an amateur. I have an identical twin brother, Pedro Manuel. He's a pro fighter, too, in Colombia."
Juan said, "I was born in Monteria, Colombia. I have three sisters and four brothers. My twin brother and I are the only boxers in the family. My father was a farmer, I grew up on a farm. I used to work the fields, bring in the crops and all that. We grew corn.
"When I was little, I had a couple of cousins that boxed and I started going to the gym with them. I was 10 years old, I just fell in love with it. I was 14 when I had my first amateur fight. I had 160 amateur fights. I lost about 25.
"I won the national championship in Colombia five times, starting in '97, all at lightweight. I didn't make the 2000 Olympic team. I was eliminated. "I lived in Madrid, Spain, for almost two years. My former manager is from Spain, and he took me over there. Then I moved to Florida in 2004."...
Juan and his his wife Elizabeth were married on October 13, 2005, and live with her 15 year-old son and nine year old daughter; Juan has six other children who live in Colombia with his mother, sister, aunt, and ex-wife...
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