Teofimo Lopez is simply the best.
The newest member of the undisputed champions club stepped into history last night with a historic unanimous decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The Brooklynite is only 23 years old.
ALL. THE. BELTS.
At 23 years old, #TheTakeover is now…
👑 The only 4-belt champ in Lightweight history
👑 The youngest 4-belt champ in #boxing history
Take a bow, @TeofimoLopez. #LomaLopez pic.twitter.com/BWOeLKkcqz
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 18, 2020
Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is now the youngest fighter to become a four-belt champion since the WBO was founded in 1988.
The new undisputed lightweight champion of the world executed an early pressure campaign in over 12 tense rounds inside the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
From the outset, Lopez set out to prove that he was who his father said he was. From cutting off Lomachenko’s angles, staying close, and finding the right angles early, Lopez defeated Loma’s ability to download information and adjust throughout the fight.
Y’all gone start listening to me about this boxing 🤷🏽♂️ … 119-109 was wild but I don’t want to hear excuses. Great performance by @teofimolopez
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 18, 2020
What shocked most critics was Lopez’s superior boxing. The conversations around his power swirled in teh pre-fight lead up but it was popular consensus that Loma would outbox him.
Everyone was looking for the power right hand that could finish the smaller boxer. However, Lopez was the ring general controlling the center of the ring, used his guiding left hand hitting Lomachenko with well-placed body shots.
The 12th round shored up the fight for Lopez. He dug deep and neutralized Lomchenko who attempted a final rally at the end.
Teofimo Lopez explains his old school ‘fight the best’ mentality which led to his win over Lomachenko at age 23…
“Everyone wants to be like Mayweather. In order to be like Mayweather, you’ve gotta be like ‘Pretty Boy’ first.”
[🎥 @TRBoxing] pic.twitter.com/mUuXm2WztK
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 18, 2020
“I’m a fighter,” Lopez said after the fight regarding the 12th round. “I gotta dig in deep. I knew he was coming. I didn’t know if they had him up on the scorecards or not, and I love to fight. I can bang, too. I don’t care, man. I’ll take one to give one. That’s what a true champion does. I find a way to win.”
In the later rounds, Lomachenko turned it up and began to utilize his famous footwork to find angles and execute three to four-punch combinations.
Floyd Mayweather posted his winning betting slip for a wager on Teofimo Lopez. pic.twitter.com/WNrLjX11KC
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 18, 2020
“I think the first half of the fight he got more rounds than I did, but in the second half of the fight I took over,” Lomachenko said. “I was much better.”
Still, the judges saw the fight wholly as a lopsided effort.
With scores of 116-112, 119-109 and 117-111, many believed that the judges were part and parcel of the horrendous decisions that have plagued boxing.
This time, judge Julie Lederman was singled out for the wide 119-109 margin which only gave Lomachenko the 11th round. For many, the fight was a clear 7-5 rounds for Lopez or even a draw by commentator and former undefeated champion Andre Ward’s card.
There was no rematch clause for #LomaLopez per Bob Arum.
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) October 18, 2020
Teofimo Lopez’s win was prophetic.
His father predicted his destiny with an outspoken indictment of Lomachenko as easy to figure out. Many pandered this as an over boastful embellishment.
Turns out he was right.
As predicted his son won a world title by his 15th fight and dethroned a boxer many considered the best pound-for-pound fighter. Lopez took him out by his 16th fight and became a legend.
Where’s Brooklyn at? Back in the annals of history.
