Dan Rafael wrote [excerpts]: If you are not impressed by the potential of lightweight prospect Teofimo Lopez, you just don’t know what you are looking at. My father was going to the gym just to train for himself and he would always take me with him. Thought to be taking a step up in opposition against Mason Menard, Lopez destroyed him in extremely crushing fashion in just 44 seconds when he slammed him with an overhand right on the chin and knocked him out face first. Although Loma is known as a fighter that doesn’t get hit much this is boxing and when you go swimming you are going to get a little wet. ... in a separate weight class – at the 2012 Games. Lopez is also a much bigger fighter, who is a natural lightweight on his way up to junior welter, where Lomachenko has not dominated at 135 pounds against bigger, stronger, more durable fighters the same way he did at 126 and 130 pounds. It was a tight-knit family, and my father was the third son. Lopez, 21, is not ready for that yet, but it might not be too much longer. Nickname. Contrary to popular belief in this writer’s opinion the Lopez victory over Lomachenko is not his best win. Another all-time great, in Roy Jones Jr., did the same when moving up to super middle and light heavy with James Toney and Mike McCallum respectfully, taking calculated risks at higher weights against fighters who themselves originally came up from lower weight classes. After the jump from lightweight to junior welter, instead of Tszyu, Mayweather captured his title fighting Arturo Gatti, who himself turned pro at 126 pounds and won his first world title at 130. Lopez was not old enough to compete in the series. JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Mobile, Alabama, 125 pounds: in his first fight on 6-26-13 he lost a 3-0 decision against Gonzalo Rodriguez…, 2013 NATIONAL SILVER GLOVES CHAMPONSHIPS – 125 pounds/14-15 year-old division – GOLD MEDALIST [results not currently available]…, STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style, good skills and movement…has good punching power…had a strong amateur background…has a strong family boxing background…, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 11 fights…34 total rounds…, DISTANCE FIGHTS: 10 rounds – 0…8 rounds – 0…6 rounds – 3 (3-0)…4 rounds – 1 (1-0)…. Because of a convoluted series of circumstances, Lopez was squeezed out of a likely role fighting for his home country. It’s a combination that made him the easy pick for 2018 ESPN.com prospect of the year. For a fight of this magnitude to have such long odds and such a variance amongst supporters of the sport spoke volumes on how competitive things could be. Caution to the tune of throwing all of 58 punches the first half of the fight with only 20 of those being power punches. How cautious? Arum also sees Lopez, 23, vacating the titles and moving up to 140 pounds -- a more manageable weight for the champion. A rematch could settle things but money and bragging rights might not be the deciding factor. My parents were both born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, so I qualified to make the Honduran Olympic team. Yes, I always need to have two special ingredients before I go into the venue on Fight Night. At lightweight Loma has looked vulnerable to the punches of his bigger opponents in all of his fights with the exception of his early knockout over Anthony Crolla. Heading into the 12th and final round all the momentum was in Lomachenko’s favor as he dominated the second half of the fight on a tiring Lopez. From the time Lopez turned pro two years ago he has looked like a future star, and nothing changed in 2018 when he won all four of his fights (three by knockout) and stepped up in competition in a sixth-round knockout of William Silva in July followed by a devastating 44-second knockout of Mason Menard, whom he put to sleep face first with a single right hand that opened an ESPN telecast Dec. 8. All though those are great fighters I would like to say I am a unique fighter that what’s to be remembered as the one and only Teofimo Lopez. “2019 – it is the takeover. To call this guy a prospect, though, is a disservice to him. 15-0, 12 KO. In his post-fight interview, Teofimo said, “I knew Menard was a tough fighter. The kingpin of the lightweight division heading into Saturday night was the 32 year old Lomachenko, as he’d captured all the alphabet soup world titles at 135 pounds with the exception of the IBF title, which belonged to the 23 year old Lopez. YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Reno, Nevada, 132 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: in his first fight on 1-8-14 he won a 2-1 decision against Kelvin Davis; in the quarterfinals on 1-9-14 he won a 3-0 decision against Jesse Villareal; in the semifinals on 1-10-14 he lost a 3-0 decision against Andres Cortes…, 2013 U.S. Lopez felt abandoned by the Amateur International Boxing Association…. He is a four-time world champion, and in two weight classes, having held the WBA lightweight title since 2019, and the WBA super featherweight title Ryan García is an American - Best Floyd Mayweather News Fan site - These fighters gave the fans the fight they wanted to see, doing so during a pandemic, and that should be applauded. But they’re not going to give it to you. Lopez also wo… He was able to do no such thing with Lopez. Posted on 02/09/2021 By: Hans Themistode The multiple world titles in numerous weight classes, the perfect 50-0 record, and even the newly added Hall of Fame plaque bearing his name are all for nothing. Retained NABF lightweight title; Won vacant NABA and USBA lightweight titles, Won vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title, Thesweetscience.com’s “2018 Knockout of the Year” – Lopez KO1 Menard…, Ranked WBA #11, WBO #14, WBC #15 at 135 pounds, North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight champion…, WBC Continental Americas lightweight champion, 2016 Olympic Games (amateur), representative for Honduras- 132 pounds, 2016 American Olympic Qualifier (amateur), 132 pounds – Silver Medalist, 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist, 2015 Olympic Trials Qualifier I (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist, won “Outstanding Boxer” award, 2015 National Golden Gloves Championships (amateur), 132 pounds – Gold Medalist, 2013 National Silver Gloves Champonships (amateur), 125 pounds/14-15 yr. old division – Gold Medalist. My biggest motivation is the kids trying to make it in this world and in all sports. I started Boxing at the age of 6. Teofimo Lopez will try and show that to be false when they meet in Las Vegas on 17 October with all the belts on the line. Qualifying for the Olympics has long been a complicated system, and the winner of a little-known tournament was actually used for the first time to select team members. ... Two fighters, battling for weight class … Lopez was a betting underdog heading into that bout and there were many whispers of him being overhyped…and no different than this past Saturday he proved the critics wrong. But by the time Lopez lost a unanimous decision to Sofiane Oumiha of France, he was ready to move on and forget about Rio. Lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez Credit: Handout ... "I don't care about weight class with any of these guys. Teofimo's hard work paid off by winning everything necessary to represent USA, including winning the 2016 Olympic Trails tournament at the 132 lbs weight class. “But that didn’t come out today,” he said. Thankyou For Watching Plss Subscribe And Follow My Facebook Page FACEBOOK PAGE: Credit ... Gervonta Davis is an American professional boxer. Hi-Tech. Mayweather then leaped right up to 147 pounds, where after a welcome to welter fight with Sharmba Mitchell, a former lightweight, he then captured his welterweight title over Zab Judah, himself a former 140. I believe that I was born with it. All it takes, though, is one quick glance at him to know that this guy is different than any other 21-year-old in the game. “I always said, ‘medalha de ouro,`” Portuguese for gold medal, “because when you attract positivity it comes to you. Carlos Balderas had qualified for the one open lightweight slot based on his finish in the World Series of Boxing, a little-seen series not really known outside of amateur circles. The first six rounds of the fight saw Loma losing round after round as much as Lopez was winning each frame.The judges are not going to reward a fighter when he is strictly fighting defensively. What is your first memory in the sport? They gave the other kid the spot on the Olympic team – he didn’t win it, but they gave him the spot. YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Reno, Nevada, 132 pounds: in his first fight on 1-5-15 he won a 2-1 decision against Reshat Mati; in his second fight on 1-6-15 he won a 3-0 decision against Paul Allen; in the quarterfinals on 1-7-15 he lost a decision against Andres Cortes…, 2014 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPIONSHIPS – Las Vegas, Nevada, 132 pounds: in his first fight on 5-13-14 he won a 5-0 decision against Jesus Vasquez; in his second fight on 5-14-14 he lost a 3-2 decision against Javar Jones…, 2014 U.S. "The Paul brothers will make great money with the events, but with 50 … Ivan Golub Fighting Feb. 20 in Florida, On One For All Card, WBC Names Promoter Dmitriy Salita Their Rep To Israel, Larry Fryers Gets Crack At Rances Barthelemy, Richard Commey On Joe Smith Feb. 13 Undercard, Amanda Serrano Fights Wednesday Night in Dominican Republic, Training Camp Check-In: WBO Super Featherweight Champion Jamel Herring, RING CITY USA Has Some Rock-Solid Bouts and Prospects On Display In March, Boxing Will Be Allowed At Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center As Of Feb. 23, Joe Smith Fight Versus Maxim Vlasov Saturday Is OFF, Because Vlasov Has COVID, Signature Punch Card Features Harold Calderon Versus Jonathan Enez Feb. 20 in Miami, Christy Martin Promotions Runs Pro Show in Orlando, Florida TONIGHT, Sena Agbeko of Ghana Meets Vladimir Shishkin Feb. 17 on ShoBox, Promoter Eddie Hearn Previews Canelo-Yildirim and Estrada-Chocolatito Cards, Berchelt vs. Valdez Undercard Filled With Some Top Young Talent, Dan Rafael Is No Longer With ESPN, Contract Is Not Renewed, Terence Crawford’s Thoughts On Coronavirus Making the Rounds, ALERT! So far, he has been everything the company hoped for. WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney has discussed the potential fights ahead for the 2021 fight calendar, as he aims to collect all four of the division’s titles. Then, when my father came back, he seen me hitting the pads and he was amazed, like, ‘Whoa!’ And that’s when he took over training me. My first memory was when I was hitting the mitts with a coach for the first time and what I can remember was that I was tired and asked the coach if I can get some water. As I was headed to get some water I passed by a double-end bag and said to myself when I get back from drinking water I’m going to hit it. Undefeated youngsters like 21 year old Devin […] Lopez never wanted to fight for another country, only eventually being persuaded to fight for Honduras once he realized it was his only opportunity to make the Olympics. As I jumped to hit the double-end bag, I got my left arm tangled and pulled away from the bag. ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported [Jan. 2, 2019 – excerpts]: Top Rank has a long history of signing fighters out of the Olympics and developing them into champions and superstars. Yeah, Lopez is the best prospect in the game, maybe the best in a decade or more. Lopez is in a great position at 135 or 140 pounds with many options and is an ever improving young fighter. I’ve sparred with many, many, many professionals since I was 13 years old. It might not feel … Lopez has been pressing Top Rank to move him faster up the ladder and has talked about an eventual title fight with Lomachenko. Favorite artist to listen to on Fight Night? NY Fights watched Lopez deal with Commey, and the kid’s “trash talk” for the last few years seemed more like common sense, than chatter to secure a bout. This was a mental chess match as much as a physical one and Lopez was able to match Loma psychologically. The company has done it time and again, including with three of the biggest stars of their time: Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto. Teofimo Lopez, left, and Vasiliy Lomachenko trade punches during their lightweight title fight Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, at the MGM Grand. Against Jose Pedraza and Luke Campbell, Lomachenko scored late knockdowns in each fight to widen the scorecards and go on to unanimous decision wins in fights that were far more competitive than the scores reflected. Vasyl Lomachenko (c) UD 12 Note 1: Junior welterweight: Arnold Barboza Jr. Def. “I’ve sparred with a lot of pros. Teofimo Lopez Jr. One of the things that Lopez needs to understand is that there's a lot more he can do in boxing. There are also the cases of guys like Mikey Garcia moving up in weight to challenge Errol Spence only to be shut out in one sided fashion or Amir Khan being nearly decapitated against Canelo Alvarez when stepping up in weight. Lopez, who has 15 wins from 15 bouts, with 12 knockouts, has said he will "beat up" a fighter many regard as being the world's finest in any weight category. Teofimo Lopez says his Lightweight rivals are afraid to face him & insists he is the “kingpin” of the division. After Lomachenko’s horrendous start, he promptly came out with a different vigor from round seven forward. The talent and capabilities of Lopez are evident. Lomachenko has to live with knowing that his dreadfully slow start cost him victory and his world titles. By: Hans Themistode. 14-1, 10 KO. Coupled with his 26 knockouts in 29 wins made this a tall order for a kid going into just his 15th professional fight. Lopez was as fresh in round seven as he was in round one as he did not absorb any punishment or have to expend himself much from an offensive perspective to win rounds. My style – I’m technical, very technical. I had like, 150 wins. “I’m an entertainer – got to entertain! Teofimo has been very active since his debut with 11 fights in his first two years as a pro and very imipressive. Where do you want to be 5 years from now? At this time in 2019, López could be in that company. He was the only one to leave the family. What he was trying to tell you the last few years, and in the lead to this fight? “I wanted to test him and land my best shot and see how he reacted. Lopez has a magnetic personality and a bluntness about him that doesn’t always serve fighters well. Undefeated youngsters like 21 year old Devin Haney, 22 year old Ryan Garcia and 25 year old Gervonta Davis are all making names for themselves in the sport and have boxing fans salivating at the possibility of potential future matchups. In return at the lighter weights Lomachenko’s opponents didn’t punch as hard as the bigger guys at lightweight. “It’s the most hyped-up, bullsh-t weight class there is. A sensational young prospect at 135 pounds, he is widely considered the top young talent in the entire sport. “My father boxed at one time when he was younger. He had the Olympics, just not his country. He was an amateur standout before his debut – Teofimo earned a place on the 2016 U.S. Olympic boxing team at 132 pounds, but controversial politics in the amateur program took it away from him. Lopez is a big kid and at only 23 years old will not be able to make 135 pounds much longer and has already mentioned moving up to 140. Lanell Bellows TKO 1 [End Gelston item]…, 2016 AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER II – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 132 pounds – SILVER MEDALIST: in his first fight on 3-14-16 he won a 3-0 decision against Ludy Tenorio of Ecuador; in the quarterfinals on 3-16-16 he won a 3-0 decision against Brian Gonzalez of Mexico; in the semifinals on 3-17-16 he won a 3-0 decision against Ignacio Perrin of Argentina; in the finals on 3-19-16 he lost a 2-1 decision against Luis Cabrera of Venezuela…, 2015 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS – Reno, Nevada, 132 pounds/double elimination tournament – GOLD MEDALIST: in the semifinals (his first fight) on 12-8-15 he won a 3-0 decision against Israel Mercado; in the finals on 12-12-15 he won a 2-1 decision against Malik Montgomery…, 2015 OLYMPIC TRIALS QUALIFIER I – Colorado Springs, Colorado, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST / WON “OUTSTANDING BOXER” AWARD: in his first fight on 6-23-15 he won a decision against Javar Jones; in his second fight on 6-24-15 he won a 3-0 decision against Kenneth Taylor; in the quarterfinals on 6-25-15 he won a 3-0 decision against Eder Carrillo; in the semifinals on 6-26-15 he won a 2-0 decision against Jousce Gonzalez; in the finals on 6-27-15 he won a 3-0 decision against Genaro Gamez…, 2015 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPIONSHIPS – Las Vegas, Nevada, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 5-12-15 he defeated Yousif Saleh; in his second fight on 5-13-15 he defeated Gabriel Chairez; in the quarterfinals on 5-14-15 he defeated Israel Mercado; in the semifinals on 5-15-15 he defeated Andres Cortes; in the finals on 5-16-15 he defeated Jamine Rodriguez…, 2015 U.S. As I went back to hit the mitts with the coach he stopped me and noticed a big huge cut on my left arm and screamed out of fear and rushed me to my dad. Loma is too small for this weight and would be best served moving back down a class and I expect that to be the move should a rematch not come to fruition. Teofimo Lopez and Tyson Fury are Sports Illustrated's 2020 Fighters of the Year. NY Fights was mightily impressed with the Lopez win, and for the record, publisher Woods saw the fighter wider for Lopez than Rainone did. I have two sisters, no brothers. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole wrote [Dec. 5, 2018 – excerpts]: Teofimo Lopez qualifies as a prospect because of his age and his relatively small number of fights. Just 21 years old, Teofimo is a two-year pro. This column, from 2001, makes clear that the writer felt Floyd and Roy sometimes steered away from fighters that might present certain challenges. I’m the youngest. After two warm up fights at his new home Mayweather went around the division’s best fighter in Kostya Tszyu. Lopez still performed a backflip in the ring once he lost the decision. “I was six years old when I started boxing – I’ve basically been doing it my whole life. When did you start boxing? Conceived in 1886, Sporting News offers a trusted perspective on multiple … Who are your favorite current or recent pro fighters? If those other big names cannot … Devin Haney sees plenty of potential in the lightweight division but wants to face Teofimo Lopez Jr to unify the weight class. What do those eyes tell you? Last weekend was everything that the sport needed and not a moment too late. Who are your favorite pro sports teams and non-boxing athletes? Lopez won the U.S. Olympic Trials but Carlos Balderas had already secured the United States' sole lightweight entry into the tournament as AIBA's World Series of Boxing champion, so Lopez was aware entering the trials that at best he could only qualify as an alternate for Balderas (who lost in the Olympic quarterfinals). Current WBA, WBO and WBC lightweight champion, … Lopez won the lightweight division at the U.S. Olympic trials in December, and his feat was still not enough to make the team. He is just as reactive as Lomachenko who has made a career out of constantly drawing something out of his opponents with his constant perpetual motion and then exploiting it. What or who is the biggest motivation in your life? He just focused on me then. Sporting News Video Hub One of the most iconic sports media brands. The multiple world titles in numerous weight classes, the perfect 50-0 record, and even the newly added Hall of Fame plaque bearing his name are all for nothing. Which artists are most heavily featured on your playlist in camp? On a world class level throwing an average of 9.5 punches a round is not going to put a fighter in the best position for victory over the course of a 12 round fight even if that fighter is a big puncher which Lomachenko is not. He’s simply one of the best fighters in the world. 1 prospect, was supposed to be facing the best opponent so far of his two-year-old professional career in Mason Menard, but it sure didn’t look that way. Having the kind of highlight-reel KO he had against Menard playing over and over on SportsCenter can’t hurt. Lopez’s father and trainer was furious at the decision…. I wanted to test him, and I took a chance early in the fight. Both of these fighters have options.There is certainly interest from a fan perspective in a rematch and team Lomachenko has already stated that they would like another go. When we don’t even have fights, we stay ready. Suddenly he was mixing offense with defence while adding the constant angles and feints that we are accustomed to seeing from Loma. Lopez erased Menard with a single massive right hand on the chin for a knockout of the year contender in the first round. If I wasn’t a professional boxer, I would be …. He would have to leave and told the coach, ‘I’ve got to do some things and park the car, and I’ll be back in 10 minutes.’ So, the coach grabbed me and had me hit the pads and everything – I caught everything real quick! I want to be a successful business man who makes changes for the better of kids lives and set a good path for them, and to be the best fighter of this era. Alex Saucedo: UD 10 Note 2: Super middleweight: Edgar Berlanga: Def. Teofimo Lopez Jr. has been growing impatient for some time, and the IBF lightweight titlist will be the first to admit patience is not exactly a forte of his. “I’m naturally right-handed but when I play soccer, I kick with my left foot. Commey like Lopez is a natural lightweight, a huge puncher in his own right and a durable one, having never been stopped prior to the Lopez fight with his only two losses coming via split decisions. Yeah, he’s only 21 and has been a pro for only two years. Last Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada saw Teofimo Lopez defeat Vasiliy Lomachenko to cement his claim as the best lightweight in the world, and enter the top ten of the pound for pound boxing rankings. Titles. A volume edge, round after round, spoke to the three judges, who were thisclose to the action. Aside from the explosive power and fast hands Lopez is an intelligent and patient fighter. My family moved to Davie, Florida, when I was five years old – we drove over there. TEOFIMO LOPEZ at 140. He has the talent and the kind of charisma and exciting style that could make him a future pay-per-view star. For a fighter that just turned 23 years old to have unified all of the world titles is an incredible feat. © 2021 Top Rank, Inc. All rights reserved. If Loma could win the closing round it looked like “The Matrix” could salvage a draw in a fight that had dramatically changed directions. Which fighters do you pattern yourself after? Él Brooklyn. I’m very smart when I’m in the ring, like Albert Einstein. Once he has unified the titles — or at least has attempted to do so — it’s on to a new weight class. Is Lomachenko really slipping? AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Teofimo said, “I was born in Brooklyn, New York. This fight, to me, was more a case of what Lomachenko didn’t do as much as what Lopez did do. Heading into this fight, fans as well as the boxing experts were divided on their pick. Even an all time great like Floyd Mayweather maneuvered when moving up in weight. But people have varying criteria in judging fights, right? Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank. The problem with such a strategy is that one has to inflict a certain amount of damage to slow his opponent down during those first six frames before applying the attack which Loma certainly didn’t do with his poor early punch output. You all haven’t seen anything like me in a long time.”. He instead represented Honduras – the birthplace of his parents – at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “I had 170 amateur fights. What happened was, there were nine brothers and one sister in the family. Lopez both threw and landed more punches in the 12th round than in any round of the fight in cementing victory. Could Teofimo Lopez, right, move up in weight class after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko this past Saturday night? Teofimo is the name of my father, my father’s father, and his father. Gleason’s Gym Offering Self Defense Classes In Wake of Rise In Anti-Semitic Attacks.

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