Teófimo Andrés López Rivera[2] (born July 30, 1997) is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and Ring magazine light welterweight titles since 2023; previously he held the unified World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version), International Boxing Federation (IBF), WBO, and Ring lightweight titles between 2019 and 2021. Lopez has also held the lineal championship at lightweight and light welterweight.
Teofimo Lopez | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Lopez in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Teófimo Andrés López Rivera July 30, 1997 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||
| Other names | The Takeover | |||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 68+1⁄2 in (174 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 21 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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As an amateur, he represented Honduras at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
As of June 2023, Lopez is ranked as the world's best active light welterweight by The Ring magazine[3] and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board,[4] and second by ESPN.[5]
Early life
editLopez was born to Honduran immigrants on July 30, 1997, in Brooklyn, New York. His paternal grandfather, a Spaniard from Ávila who was born in 1916, emigrated shortly after the Second World War, going to Brazil first before settling in Honduras.[6] His father, Teofimo Lopez Sr. left Honduras with his mother at age 5, settling in Brooklyn.[7] The family eventually relocated to Florida, where Lopez Sr. first started training his son at the age of 6.[8]
Amateur career
editLopez won the U.S. Olympic Trials[9] but Carlos Balderas had already secured the United States' sole lightweight entry into the tournament as AIBA's World Series of Boxing champion,[10] 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). Lopez was able to qualify for the Honduran team, where his parents are from, and reached the finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament for the Americas to earn his place in Rio. Lopez also won the 2015 National Golden Gloves. He competed in the men's lightweight event at the 2016 Summer Olympics representing Honduras. where he was defeated by the eventual silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha.[2]
Professional career
editEarly career
editLopez signed with Top Rank in October 2016,[11] and made his debut on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas fight in November of the same year.[12] After compiling a perfect 10–0 record, he announced himself to the world stage in December 2018 by beating veteran Mason Menard with a knockout of the year candidate.[13]
In his next fight, Lopez, already ranked #9 by the WBA, #11 by the WBC and #10 by the WBO, faced another boxing veteran in Diego Magdaleno, which ended in another brutal knockout win for Lopez. He attracted some controversy after his exuberant celebration with Magdaleno still down on the canvas.[14][15]
Lopez's winning streak continued, improving to 13–0 with a fifth-round knockout victory against former world title challenger Edis Tatli on April 20, 2019, on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan at Madison Square Garden, New York City.[16]
IBF lightweight champion
editLopez vs. Nakatani
editOn July 19, 2019, Lopez who was ranked #4 by the IBF at the time, faced undefeated Masayoshi Nakatani, who was ranked #3, in a final eliminator for the IBF world lightweight title.[17] In the fourth round, Lopez knocked Nakatani down with his right hand, but the referee ruled it a slip. The fight marked the first time Lopez had gone 12 rounds in his career, and he was awarded a unanimous decision victory with scores of 118–110, 118–110, 119–109, setting up a clash with IBF champion Richard Commey.[18]
Lopez vs. Commey
editOn December 14, 2019, Lopez challenged the IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey. Lopez won the IBF title in spectacular fashion after connecting on Commey with a big right hand, and finishing him with a second-round technical knockout. After the conclusion of the fight, Lopez was joined in the ring by fellow lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, with whom he took a photo with. When asked about his plans for his next fight and a possible unification bout with Lomachenko, Lopez replied, "You guys know who I want," referring to Lomachenko without explicitly naming him.[19][20]
Unified lightweight champion
editLopez vs. Lomachenko
editIn September 2020, Lopez agreed to fight unified WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko, on October 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was the first major fight since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no live audience, Lopez defied the odds with a stunning upset victory as he beat the highly-regarded Ukrainian by unanimous decision to unify the lightweight division and maintain his unbeaten record, with the judges' scorecards reading 116–112, 117–111 and 119–109.[21] The first seven rounds saw Lopez staying behind his jab and going to the body, with his opponent offering very little in response. In the second half, Lomachenko started coming out more offensively, landing more punches. However, in the final round, Lopez landed 50 of 98 punches thrown (51%), the most an opponent has landed on Lomachenko in a round. According to CompuBox stats, Lomachenko landed 141 of 321 thrown (44%), while Lopez landed 183 of 659 thrown (28%).[22]
Lopez declined to give Lomachenko a rematch, explaining that “everybody [in Lomachenko’s camp] was being a dick to me, my father. He [Lomachenko] didn’t want to put a rematch clause in our contract."[23] In the wake of his victory, Lopez asserted that he is the undisputed lightweight champion, despite not holding the WBC belt.[24][25] However, the claim was contested by many boxing analysts and fans, as the 'Franchise' version of the WBC title won by Lopez against Lomachenko lacks recognition from a large portion of the boxing community,[26][27][28] including Devin Haney, recognized by others as the holder of the legitimate WBC lightweight title.[29][30]
Lopez vs. Kambosos Jr.
editLopez's first defense of his unified lightweight championship had been scheduled for June 5, 2021, against undefeated contender George Kambosos Jr, before being delayed multiple times due to complications involving Lopez testing positive for COVID-19,[31] and disputes over the venue of the fight.[32][33] The fight had gone to purse bids which was won by Triller with a winning bid of over US$6 million, leading to a fallout between Lopez and Bob Arum, head promoter at Top Rank.[34] On October 6, it transpired that the IBF had found Triller in default of its contract obligation to stage the fight, and that its rights would be awarded to the second highest bidder, Eddie Hearn's Matchroom, meaning that the fight will be shown live exclusively on the streaming service DAZN.[35][36] Despite Kambosos entering the bout as a 13 to 1 pre-fight betting underdog,[37] he knocked down the champion in the first round of the fight. Despite returning the favor by knocking down Kambosos in the tenth round, Lopez ultimately lost the bout via split decision. One judge scored the bout 114–113 to Lopez, while the other two judges scored it 115–112 and 115–111 for Kambosos Jr.[38]
Light welterweight
editLopez vs. Campa, Martin
editFor Lopez's eighteenth professional fight, he moved up to the light welterweight division. In his first bout at the weight class on August 13, 2022, he successfully rebounded from his loss against Kambosos by defeating Pedro Campa via seventh-round technical knockout after a dominant performance.[39]
Lopez would return on December 10, 2022, against European light welterweight champion Sandor Martin in his second bout at the 140 lb limit. The first round saw an aggressive start from Lopez, where Martin busted his nose during a clash of heads. Martin was able to knock Lopez down in the second round with a check right hook. The fight was competitive, resulting in a split decision after the final bell, with judges' scorecards of 97–92 and 96–93 in Lopez's favor, and 95–94 in Martin's favor.[40] Lopez was caught on camera in the ring post-fight candidly questioning his team: "Do I still got it?"[41]
WBO and The Ring light welterweight champion
editLopez vs. Taylor
editOn April 8, 2023, it was officially announced that Lopez would attempt to become a two-division world champion and challenge undefeated WBO and The Ring light welterweight champion Josh Taylor on June 10 at the Hulu Theater in New York City. He won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming a 2 division world champion.[42] On June 12, Lopez announced his retirement from boxing.[43]
Lopez vs. Ortiz
editOn February 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Lopez defeated Jamaine Ortiz by unanimous decision and made the first successful defence of WBO light welterweight title.[44]
Lopez vs. Claggett
editLopez made the second defense of his title against Steve Claggett at James L. Knight Center in Miami, FL on June 29, 2024. Winning on a unanimous points decision. [45][46]
Personal life
editOn April 23, 2019, Lopez married his wife Cynthia Lopez, who is originally from Nicaragua. They first met on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York City to Las Vegas shortly after Lopez's victorious 9th pro fight against Vitor Jones Freitas, on which Cynthia was a flight attendant.[47] Shortly after marrying, they spent their honeymoon vacation in Greece.[48]
On June 15, 2021, Lopez tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the postponement of his fight with George Kambosos Jr.[49]
Professional boxing record
edit| 22 fights | 21 wins | 1 loss |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 13 | 0 |
| By decision | 8 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Steve Claggett | UD | 12 | Jun 29, 2024 | James L. Knight Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBO and The Ring light welterweight titles |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Jamaine Ortiz | UD | 12 | Feb 8, 2024 | Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBO and The Ring light welterweight titles |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Josh Taylor | UD | 12 | Jun 10, 2023 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won WBO and The Ring light welterweight titles |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Sandor Martin | SD | 10 | Dec 10, 2022 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained WBO International light welterweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Pedro Campa | TKO | 7 (10), 2:14 | Aug 13, 2022 | Resorts World Las Vegas, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won vacant NABF and WBO International light welterweight titles |
| 17 | Loss | 16–1 | George Kambosos Jr | SD | 12 | Nov 27, 2021 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Lost WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Vasiliy Lomachenko | UD | 12 | Oct 17, 2020 | MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained IBF lightweight title; Won WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Richard Commey | TKO | 2 (12), 1:13 | Dec 14, 2019 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won IBF lightweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Masayoshi Nakatani | UD | 12 | Jul 19, 2019 | MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Edis Tatli | KO | 5 (12), 1:32 | Apr 20, 2019 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NABF lightweight title |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Diego Magdaleno | KO | 7 (10), 1:08 | Feb 2, 2019 | The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, U.S. | Retained NABA, NABF, and USBA lightweight titles |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Mason Menard | KO | 1 (10), 0:44 | Dec 8, 2018 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won vacant NABA, NABF, and USBA lightweight titles |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | William Silva | TKO | 6 (10), 0:15 | Jul 14, 2018 | Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Won vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Vitor Jones Freitas | KO | 1 (8), 1:04 | May 12, 2018 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Juan Pablo Sanchez | UD | 6 | Feb 3, 2018 | American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Josh Ross | TKO | 2 (6), 1:57 | Oct 13, 2017 | A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Christian Santibanez | UD | 6 | Jul 7, 2017 | A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Ronald Rivas | KO | 2 (6), 2:21 | May 20, 2017 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jorge Luis Munguia | TKO | 2 (6), 0:48 | Apr 21, 2017 | Osceola Heritage Center, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Daniel Bastien | KO | 2 (6), 0:39 | Mar 17, 2017 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Francisco Medel | TKO | 4 (4), 0:58 | Feb 24, 2017 | Tony Rosa Community Center, Palm Bay, Florida, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Ishwar Siqueiros | KO | 2 (4), 2:03 | Nov 5, 2016 | Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b DAZN Boxing tale of the tape prior to the George Kambosos Jr. fight.
- ^ a b "Teofimo Andres Lopez Rivera". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ "Junior Welterweight ratings". The Ring. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "TBRB rankings". Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Divisional rankings -- The best top 10 fighters per division". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ Kriegel, Mark (January 12, 2019). "La encrucijada de Teófimo López: entre la búsqueda de su legado y armonía con su familia". ESPN. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ "Growing pains: Teofimo Lopez's search for legacy and peace with his family". ESPN.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez | Professional Boxer". www.teofimoalopez.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "US Olympic Trials - Reno - December 7-13 2015". amateur-boxing.strefa.pl. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "Rio 2016: Carlos Balderas earned 1st spot on boxing team, bypassing Olympic trials". Fox News. December 2, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ Rafael, Dan (October 11, 2016). "Top Rank adds 19-year-old Olympian Teofimo Lopez". ESPN. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ "Pacquiao Decisions Vargas". The Sweet Science. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez blasts Mason Menard in 44 seconds on Lomachenko-Pedraza undercard". The Ring. December 8, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Christ, Scott (February 3, 2019). "Teofimo Lopez brutally knocks out Diego Magdaleno". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Lopez vs Magdaleno - News, Tape, Ringwalk, TV, Streaming & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez halts Edis Tatli in five rounds on Crawford-Khan undercard". The Ring. April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Lopez vs Nakatani - News, Tape, Ringwalk, TV, Streaming & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez outlasts Masayoshi Nakatani in winning the IBF lightweight title eliminator". The Ring. July 19, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Christ, Scott (December 14, 2019). "Commey vs Lopez results: Teofimo Lopez knocks out Richard Commey to win IBF title, says Vasiliy Lomachenko is next". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "News Archive". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez pulls off the shocker by dominating Vasiliy Lomachenko". The Ring. October 17, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "CompuBox Punch Stats - Boxing News". Boxing Scene. October 18, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez again refuses to give Vasyl Lomachenko a rematch | DAZN News UK". DAZN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Esco, Wil (February 5, 2021). "Teofimo Lopez shows off two WBC title belts, says Devin Haney 'got played'". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Sulaiman: Lopez is the undisputed champ, leading man at 135lbs". Boxing Social. January 6, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Rafael: WBC's franchise title just doesn't make sense". ESPN.com. June 28, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "What The Hell Is The REAL Purpose Of The "Franchise Champion?"". 3Kings Boxing WorldWide. October 26, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Akopyan, Manouk (June 29, 2020). "Eddie Hearn: WBC Franchise Champions Are Bad For Boxing". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Devin Haney blames WBC, Top Rank and Teofimo Lopez Jr. for undisputed title confusion | DAZN News UK". DAZN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Esco, Wil (November 5, 2020). "Devin Haney: Teofimo Lopez knows he's not undisputed without fighting me". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos rescheduled for June 19th on Triller pay-per-view". Boxing News 24. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ "IBF ends Triller's Aussie plan for Lopez-Kambosos". ESPN.com. August 9, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Lopez-Kambosos now targeted for Middle East". ESPN.com. August 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez Jr. says there's 'no going back' in Top Rank row, offers news on George Kambosos Jr. date | DAZN News Laos". DAZN. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ "IBF awards Lopez-Kambosos bout to Matchroom". ESPN.com. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "Eddie Hearn confirms Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos will now be promoted by Matchroom Boxing, broadcast by DAZN | DAZN News US". DAZN. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "George Kambosos Jr stuns Teófimo López for unified lightweight title in seismic upset". the Guardian. November 28, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "George Kambosos Jr. shocks Teofimo Lopez in split decision to become new unified world lightweight champion | DAZN News US". DAZN. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez finishes off an overmatched Pedro Campa in successful debut at 140 pounds | DAZN News US". DAZN. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Esco, Wil (December 11, 2022). "Teofimo Lopez edges split decision over Sandor Martin, shows serious flaws". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Christ, Scott (December 11, 2022). "Video: Teofimo Lopez questions himself after Sandor Martin fight, asks if he's "still got it"". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Christ, Scott (April 8, 2023). "Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez official for June 10 at MSG's Hulu Theater". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Roscher, Liz (June 12, 2023). "Teofimo Lopez announces retirement from boxing at 25". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 18, 2023.oul
- ^ "Lopez retains title, hears boos in flat performance". ESPN.com. February 9, 2024.
- ^ Iskenderov, Parviz (May 21, 2024). "Teofimo Lopez faces Steve Claggett in Miami in June". FIGHTMAG.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez Defends Against Steve Claggett On June 29th On ESPN In Miami, Florida - Latest Boxing News". www.boxing247.com. May 20, 2024.
- ^ "Teofimo Lopez finds himself a better fighter, because he's in a better place". The Ring. July 5, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Growing pains: Teofimo Lopez's search for legacy and peace with his family". ESPN.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Wolfe, Cameron (June 16, 2021). "Teofimo Lopez tests positive for COVID-19, bout vs. George Kambosos moved to Aug. 14". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
External links
edit- Boxing record for Teofimo Lopez from BoxRec (registration required)
- Teofimo Lopez - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings at Box.Live
- Teofimo Lopez at Olympedia
- Teofimo Lopez at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Teofimo Lopez at Toprank.com
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur boxing titles | ||||
| Previous: Maliek Montgomery |
U.S. Golden Gloves lightweight champion 2015 |
Next: Maliek Montgomery | ||
| Regional boxing titles | ||||
| Vacant Title last held by Ryan Martin
|
WBC Continental Americas lightweight champion July 14, 2018 – November 2018 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Adrian Estrella
| ||
| Vacant Title last held by Ray Beltrán
|
NABF lightweight champion December 8, 2018 – November 2019 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Oscar Duarte Jurado
| ||
| Vacant Title last held by Devin Haney
|
USBA lightweight champion December 8, 2018 – November 2019 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Michel Rivera
| ||
| Vacant Title last held by Demond Brock
|
NABA lightweight champion February 2, 2019 – September 2019 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Chris Colbert
| ||
| Vacant Title last held by Lee Reeves
|
NABF light welterweight champion August 13, 2022 – December 2022 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Steve Claggett
| ||
| Vacant Title last held by Arnold Barboza Jr.
|
WBO International light welterweight champion August 13, 2022 – June 10, 2023 Won world title | |||
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by | IBF lightweight champion December 14, 2019 – November 27, 2021 |
Succeeded by | ||
| Preceded by | WBA lightweight champion Super title October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | |||
| WBO lightweight champion October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | ||||
| The Ring lightweight champion October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | ||||
| Preceded by | WBO light welterweight champion June 10, 2023 – present |
Incumbent | ||
| The Ring light welterweight champion June 10, 2023 – present | ||||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: Jaime Munguia |
The Ring Prospect of the Year 2018 |
Next: Vergil Ortiz Jr. | ||
| Previous: Canelo Álvarez |
The Ring Fighter of the Year 2020 With: Tyson Fury |
Next: Canelo Álvarez | ||
| BWAA Fighter of the Year 2020 | ||||