Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
Teofimo Lopez Jr. is back at the mountain top.
Just six months after he was left questioning himself following a split decision win over Sandor Martin in December, Lopez (19-1) left no doubt with a dominant, upset win over Josh Taylor (19-1) via unanimous decision (115-113 x2, 117-111). to win the WBO and The Ring light welterweight title.
ESPN @espn
Teofimo Lopez is THE NEW junior welterweight champion of the world 🏆🌎 #TaylorLopez pic.twitter.com/WZE9DOdxg8
Top Rank Boxing @trboxing
“DO I STILL GOT IT!?”@TeofimoLopez | #TaylorLopez pic.twitter.com/DZ8wWhM2yU
Talking a big game leading up to the fight, even going as far as to say that he wanted to “kill” Taylor in the ring—for which he later apologized following the fight—he backed it up, showing off the power and swagger that made him a sensation in the lightweight division for several years.
After getting off to a slow start, Lopez made Taylor pay for his extended layoff from boxing, winning basically every round of the fight from the fourth onward, out landing the former champion 159-82 on the night.
Lopez landed a hard shot to end the fourth that left Taylor clearly shaken, and from there on, it was curtains.
ESPN Ringside @ESPNRingside
Teofimo Lopez staggers Taylor to end round 4 😳 #TaylorLopez pic.twitter.com/d7ChvZhpX0
A raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered on the Brooklyn native to victory, growing rowdier with every punch, slip and shimmy that the 25-year-old phenom managed to pull off.
Taylor, 32, was undefeated going into Saturday night, defending his belts 10 times over the last six years, but he looked old and rusty after not being in the ring since Feb. 26, 2022. The Scotland native said that he would like to see Lopez once again but understands if the young champ has his eyes set elsewhere.
ESPN announcer and former two-division champ, Andre Ward kept calling out Taylor’s decision making throughout the night as he made himself too easy of a target for someone with the speed and power of Lopez.
Taylor knew he was far from his best.
Michael Benson @MichaelBensonn
Josh Taylor after his defeat to Teofimo Lopez: “No excuses, it wasn’t my best, but the better man won. I felt amazing in the gym. Congratulations to Teofimo. I’d love to do it again. The lay-off had nothing to do with it. I’ve got no excuses, he was the better man tonight.”
As the fight progressed, Lopez kept showing shades of the fighter that defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko a few years ago to win the WBA, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles, full of supreme confidence, dancing on Taylor for the latter half of the fight.
It seemed like some of that swagger was lost back in 2021 following his first career-loss to George Kambosos Jr., costing him his lightweight belts.
This win can define a new era for the superstar as he looks to rule the 140-pound division for the foreseeable future.
