Juan Manuel Lopez tries to get up on March 10 after being knocked down by Orlando Salido (AP)

Juan Manuel Lopez has long been one of the game's most exciting fighters, and he's often too brave for his own good. He loves to stand toe-to-toe and slug in the hopes of bringing the fans out of their seats.

Mostly, it's worked for him as he's compiled a 31-2 record with 28 knockouts and world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight.

[Also: Boxer Omar Henry dies at 25, months after cancer diagnosis]

But it nearly cost him a loss in an epic 2009 scrap with Rogers Mtagwa, when he was barely able to stand in the waning seconds. And he dropped a pair of bouts in the last year to Orlando Salido.

Lopez was suspended after the second loss to Salido for making allegations that referee Roberto Ramirez was gambling. Lopez was clearly woozy after that March 10 loss but was interviewed within seconds after the fight's 10th-round stoppage.

Juan Manuel Lopez (AP)Lopez's words were wrong and he had nothing to back up his accusation that Ramirez has a gambling problem. But he'd also recently been concussed and

Boxer Omar Henry died Friday at 25 (Photo courtesy of Omar Henry Facebook Fan Page)Boxer Omar Henry craved the spotlight and hoped one day to become the undisputed super welterweight champion.

Sadly, though, Henry only became a star in death, when he died at 25 Friday in a Chicago hospital following a short fight with gall bladder cancer.

Henry, who was 12-0-1, was supposed to fight on Showtime on Nov. 16. But he didn't feel well a few days before the fight, went to see his doctor and was diagnosed with Stage 4 gall bladder cancer.

He posted a series of heart-wrenching messages on his Facebook fan page in which he pleaded for prayers and support. Perhaps the most tragic was his Jan. 9 post, when he said he hoped to live to celebrate his 26th birthday on Feb. 8.

Sadly, he fell a week short of that goal.

I got exactly less than 1 month left until my 26th birthday February 8. Hopefully I live to see it. I really have been getting a lot of support with kind words and prayers from all over the world with this battle with cancer. Thank you and I will continue to fight for

For those so inclined, it's easy to laugh at Kevin Ferguson for keeping the charade going. Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, became an Internet legend almost a decade ago by starring in street fighting videos.

He appears to have found his latest meal ticket parading around the world as a professional boxer, taking on guys who probably don't belong in the ring in the first place. For Exhibit A, let's turn to his latest win over Australian Shane Tilyard.

In his fight with Tilyard, Ferguson was winded early – in the first round, mind you – and got hurt by a slow-motion punch from Tilyard. In the second, Ferguson stumbled into Tilyard in a move that looked as if he were remembering his MMA days and going for a takedown.

Both men were completely gassed by the time Ferguson threw that innocent-looking hook to the midsection. Tilyard went down in obvious pain, and couldn't beat the 10-count.

Ferguson's supporters would point to that as evidence of his punching power. Rather, it was evidence that Tilyard was completely winded and couldn't go any more.

With the win, Ferguson raised his record to 7-0 (6 KOs) as a professional boxer.

[Also: Alvarado-Rios to rematch after 2012 classic between two fighters]