Teófimo López

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Teófimo López
Teofimo Lopez.jpg
López in 2019
Statistics
Real nameTeófimo Andrés López Rivera
Nickname(s)The Takeover
El Brooklyn[1]
Weight(s)Lightweight
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[2]
Reach68+1⁄2 in (174 cm)[2]
Born (1997-07-30) July 30, 1997 (age 24)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights17
Wins16
Wins by KO12
Losses1
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
National Golden Gloves
Gold medal – first place 2015 Las Vegas Lightweight
US Youth National Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Reno Lightweight

Teófimo Andrés López Rivera[3] (born July 30, 1997) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2019 to November 2021, and the WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring magazine titles since defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 until November 2021.[4] As an amateur, he represented Honduras at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

As of October 2021, he is ranked as the world's fifth-best active boxer, pound for pound, by ESPN[5] and the Boxing Writers Association of America,[6] seventh by The Ring,[7] and tenth by the TBRB.[8] He was also ranked as the world's best active lightweight by The Ring,[9] ESPN,[10] the TBRB,[11] and BoxRec.[12]

Early life

López was born to Honduran immigrants on July 30, 1997 in Brooklyn, New York. His father and trainer, Teófimo López Sr., started training him at the age of 6.[13]

Amateur career

López won the U.S. Olympic Trials[14] but Carlos Balderas had already secured the United States' sole lightweight entry into the tournament as AIBA's World Series of Boxing champion,[15] so López was aware entering the trials that at best he could only qualify as an alternate for Balderas (who lost in the Olympic quarterfinals). López 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. López also won the 2015 National Golden Gloves. López competed in the men's lightweight event at the 2016 Summer Olympics representing Honduras, where he was defeated in the tournament by eventual silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha.[3]

Professional career

Early career

López signed with Top Rank in October 2016,[16] and made his debut on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas fight in November of the same year.[17] 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.[18]

In his next fight, López, 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 López. He attracted some controversy after his exuberant celebration with Magdaleno still down on the canvas.[19][20]

López'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.[21]

IBF lightweight champion

López vs. Nakatani

On July 19, 2019, López 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.[22] In the fourth round, López knocked Nakatani down with his right hand, but the referee ruled it a slip. The fight marked the first time López 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.[23]

López vs. Commey

On December 14, 2019, López challenged the IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey. López 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, López 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, López replied, "You guys know who I want," referring to Lomachenko without explicitly naming him.[24][25]

Unified lightweight champion

López vs. Lomachenko

Main article: Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teófimo López

In September 2020, López 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, López 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.[26] The first seven rounds saw López 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, López 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 López landed 183 of 659 thrown (28%).[27]

López 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."[28] In the wake of his victory, López asserts that he is the undisputed lightweight champion, despite not holding the WBC belt.[29][30] However, this claim is contested by many boxing analysts and fans, as the 'Franchise' version of the WBC title won by López against Lomachenko lacks recognition from a large portion of the boxing community,[31][32][33] including Devin Haney, who is recognized by others as the holder of the legitimate WBC lightweight title.[34][35]

López vs. Kambosos Jr.

Main article: Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr.

López'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 López testing positive for COVID-19,[36] and disputes over the venue of the fight.[37][38] 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 López and Bob Arum, head promoter at Top Rank.[39] 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.[40][41] Despite Kambosos entering the bout as a 13 to 1 pre-fight betting underdog,[42] he knocked down the champion in the first round of the fight. Despite returning the favor by knocking down Kambosos in the tenth round, López ultimately lost the bout via split decision. One judge scored the bout 114–113 to López, while the other two judges scored it 115–112 and 115–111 for Kambosos Jr.[43]

Personal life

On April 23, 2019, López married his wife Cynthia López, who is originally from Nicaragua. They first met on a Delta Airlines flight from New York City to Las Vegas shortly after López's victorious 9th pro fight against Vitor Jones Freitas, on which Cynthia was an air hostess.[44] Shortly after marrying, they spent their honeymoon vacation in Greece.[45]

On February 12, 2021, López used his social media platforms to speak up about injustice and stand in support with victims of racial violence, issuing a message in support of Asian communities around the world in light of Lunar New Year and continued increasing anti-Asian racism in 2021.[46]

López's native language is English, and he also can understand and speak Spanish.[47]

On June 15, 2021, López tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the postponement of his fight with George Kambosos Jr.[48]

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
17 fights 16 wins 1 loss
By knockout 12 0
By decision 4 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
17 Loss 16–1 Australia George Kambosos Jr. SD 12 Nov 27, 2021 United States 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 Ukraine Vasiliy Lomachenko UD 12 Oct 17, 2020 United States 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 Ghana Richard Commey TKO 2 (12), 1:13 Dec 14, 2019 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Won IBF lightweight title
14 Win 14–0 Japan Masayoshi Nakatani UD 12 Jul 19, 2019 United States MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Finland Edis Tatli KO 5 (12), 1:32 Apr 20, 2019 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBC-NABF lightweight title
12 Win 12–0 United States Diego Magdaleno KO 7 (10), 1:08 Feb 2, 2019 United States The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC-NABF, WBC-NABF, and IBF-USBA lightweight titles
11 Win 11–0 United States Mason Menard KO 1 (10), 0:44 Dec 8, 2018 United States Hulu Theater, New York City, New York, U.S. Won vacant WBA-NABA, WBC-NABF, and IBF-USBA lightweight titles[49]
10 Win 10–0 Brazil William Silva TKO 6 (10), 0:15 Jul 14, 2018 United States Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Won vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title
9 Win 9–0 Brazil Vitor Jones Freitas KO 1 (8), 1:04 May 12, 2018 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Mexico Juan Pablo Sanchez UD 6 Feb 3, 2018 United States American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 United States Josh Ross TKO 2 (6), 1:57 Oct 13, 2017 United States A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 United States Christian Santibanez UD 6 Jul 7, 2017 United States A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Guatemala Ronald Rivas KO 2 (6), 2:21 May 20, 2017 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Honduras Jorge Luis Munguia TKO 2 (6), 0:48 Apr 21, 2017 United States Osceola Heritage Center, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Mexico Daniel Bastien KO 2 (6), 0:39 Mar 17, 2017 United States The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Mexico Francisco Medel TKO 4 (4), 0:58 Feb 24, 2017 United States Tony Rosa Community Center, Palm Bay, Florida, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Mexico Ishwar Siqueiros KO 2 (4), 2:03 Nov 5, 2016 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.ringnews24.com/2020/10/05/teofimo-lopez-reveals-the-reason-he-hates-vasiliy-lomachenko/
  2. ^ a b DAZN Boxing tale of the tape prior to the George Kambosos Jr. fight
  3. ^ a b "Teofimo Andres Lopez Rivera". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  4. ^ "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "Pound-for-pound rankings: Did Canelo Alvarez's win over Avni Yildirim earn him the top spot?". ESPN. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Canelo Alvarez Continues As The BWAA's Pound-For-Pound King". Boxing Writers Association of America. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Ring P4P". The Ring. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  8. ^ TBRB P4P. "TBRB P4P rankings". Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "Lightweight ratings". The Ring. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Divisional rankings -- The best top 10 fighters per division". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  11. ^ "TBRB rankings". Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  12. ^ "BoxRec ratings". BoxRec. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  13. ^ "Teofimo Lopez | Professional Boxer". www.teofimoalopez.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  14. ^ "US Olympic Trials - Reno - December 7-13 2015". amateur-boxing.strefa.pl. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  15. ^ "Rio 2016: Carlos Balderas earned 1st spot on boxing team, bypassing Olympic trials". Fox News. December 2, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  16. ^ Rafael, Dan (October 11, 2016). "Top Rank adds 19-year-old Olympian Teofimo Lopez". ESPN. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  17. ^ "Pacquiao Decisions Vargas". The Sweet Science. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Teofimo Lopez blasts Mason Menard in 44 seconds on Lomachenko-Pedraza undercard". The Ring. December 8, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  19. ^ Christ, Scott (February 3, 2019). "Teofimo Lopez brutally knocks out Diego Magdaleno". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  20. ^ "Lopez vs Magdaleno - News, Tape, Ringwalk, TV, Streaming & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  21. ^ "Teofimo Lopez halts Edis Tatli in five rounds on Crawford-Khan undercard". The Ring. April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  22. ^ "Lopez vs Nakatani - News, Tape, Ringwalk, TV, Streaming & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  23. ^ "Teofimo Lopez outlasts Masayoshi Nakatani in winning the IBF lightweight title eliminator". The Ring. July 19, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "News Archive". Box.Live. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  26. ^ "Teofimo Lopez pulls off the shocker by dominating Vasiliy Lomachenko". The Ring. October 17, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  27. ^ "CompuBox Punch Stats - Boxing News". Boxing Scene. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  28. ^ "Teofimo Lopez again refuses to give Vasyl Lomachenko a rematch | DAZN News UK". DAZN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "Sulaiman: Lopez is the undisputed champ, leading man at 135lbs". Boxing Social. January 6, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  31. ^ "Rafael: WBC's franchise title just doesn't make sense". ESPN.com. June 28, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  32. ^ "What The Hell Is The REAL Purpose Of The "Franchise Champion?"". 3Kings Boxing WorldWide. October 26, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  33. ^ Akopyan, Manouk. "Eddie Hearn: WBC Franchise Champions Are Bad For Boxing". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  34. ^ "Devin Haney blames WBC, Top Rank and Teofimo Lopez Jr. for undisputed title confusion | DAZN News UK". DAZN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  35. ^ Esco, Wil (November 5, 2020). "Devin Haney: Teofimo Lopez knows he's not undisputed without fighting me". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  36. ^ "Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos rescheduled for June 19th on Triller pay-per-view". Boxing News 24. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  37. ^ "IBF ends Triller's Aussie plan for Lopez-Kambosos". ESPN.com. August 9, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  38. ^ "Lopez-Kambosos now targeted for Middle East". ESPN.com. August 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ "IBF awards Lopez-Kambosos bout to Matchroom". ESPN.com. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  41. ^ "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.
  42. ^ "George Kambosos Jr stuns Teófimo López for unified lightweight title in seismic upset". the Guardian. November 28, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  43. ^ "George Kambosos Jr. shocks Teofimo Lopez in split decision to become new unified world lightweight champion | DAZN News US". DAZN. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  44. ^ "Teofimo Lopez finds himself a better fighter, because he's in a better place". The Ring. July 5, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  45. ^ "Growing pains: Teofimo Lopez's search for legacy and peace with his family". ESPN.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  46. ^ López, Teófimo. "López Lunar New Year tweet". Twitter. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  47. ^ Entrevista: Teofimo López busca consagrarse en el 2018, retrieved March 28, 2021
  48. ^ 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.
  49. ^ Abrams, Marc (December 10, 2018). "Teofimo Lopez Has Star Making Performance In New York City". boxing247.com. Retrieved November 16, 2020.

External links

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 Beltran 		WBC-NABF lightweight champion
December 8, 2018 – November 2019
Vacated 		Vacant
Vacant
Title last held by
Devin Haney 		IBF-USBA lightweight champion
December 8, 2018 – November 2019
Vacated 		Vacant
Vacant
Title last held by
Demond Brock 		WBA-NABA lightweight champion
February 2, 2019 – September 2019
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Chris Colbert
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
Awards
Previous:
Jaime Munguia 		The Ring Prospect of the Year
2018 		Next:
Vergil Ortiz Jr.

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