Within the very area the place he misplaced his light-weight titles 19 months earlier than, former unified light-weight champ Teofimo Lopez put collectively a command efficiency Saturday night time in a 12 spherical domination of WBO/lineal 140 lb. champ Josh Taylor and turn into a world champion, once more.
The bout capped the Prime Rank Boxing/ESPN present within the MSG Hulu Theater and noticed Lopez ooze confidence, whereas bombing photographs spherical after spherical on the champ on his solution to the straightforward choice on official scores of 117-111 and 115-113 on the opposite two playing cards.
The Takeover was unstoppable tonight 🤫
📹 @BoostMobile | #TaylorLopez pic.twitter.com/liDiUSFHW1
— Prime Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 11, 2023
The Scotland native Taylor, who hadn’t fought in 16 months since his 12 spherical win over Jack Catterall, bought off to a great begin by scoring with proper jabs and a few arduous lefts out of the southpaw stance within the first couple of rounds. Nevertheless, Lopez figured him out beginning within the third spherical at distance and continued to attain all through the bout with lead proper arms and arduous lefts to the physique.
The New Yorker Lopez, now 20-1, 13 KOs, dominated the ability photographs within the combat scoring a lopsided 138-60 benefit, in response to Compubox stats. And, he was in full management within the closing two rounds, touchdown repeated arduous proper hooks and proper uppercuts and the ultimate two frames that staggered Taylor a few occasions.
“I’m so grateful proper now. It’s been a very long time coming,” Lopez mentioned to ESPN after the bout. “We simply beat the #1 ranked man…lineal world champion, Josh Taylor. He’s a tricky dude, man. I may see why he beat so many fighters, however you bought to counter the counter puncher. You gotta outsmart the person and get in there. And, I feel I did sufficient.”
Certainly he did do sufficient, as he swept the ultimate two rounds on all three judges official playing cards to earn the win. Two of them had the combat even at 95-95 headed into the eleventh. The third decide had Lopez up 97-93 by 10 rounds.
It’s candy redemption for Lopez after he misplaced the WBA/IBF/WBO light-weight titles to Australian George Kambosos in one other powerful choice again in November 2021. Lopez had since received two fights at junior welterweight and he was put within the #1 obligatory spot by the WBO.
The win by Lopez, referred to as “The Takeover” beforehand, is the largest since he received the light-weight titles by beating one of many prime pound for pound fighters in boxing in Vasiliy Lomachenko by choice in October 2020.
In the meantime, as a result of inactivity and never having profitable obligatory choices aside from Lopez, Taylor, now 19-1, elected to vacate three of his undisputed belts during the last yr. And, he’s most likely now regretting coming to the U.S. and dropping the ultimate one badly to Lopez.
“Hear, no excuses. It wasn’t my finest” the previous champ conceded to ESPN submit combat. “Higher man received on the night time. I gave it one of the best of my potential….congratulations to Teofimo.”
There may be not an automated rematch clause, though Taylor indicated he’d love the possibility to combat Lopez once more. Nevertheless, he additionally conceded that he’ll possible transfer as much as welterweight, which may make combating Lopez impossible, as he’ll most likely look to unify at 140 lb.
Earlier within the night time, unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Xander Zayas improved to 16-0, 12 KOs, with a eight spherical unanimous choice win over Ronald Cruz. Zayas scored a tough proper hand knockdown within the first :30 of the combat and managed the motion from there. The 20 yr outdated Zayas was the sooner and more durable puncher all through in opposition to the bout in opposition to the veteran profitable 80-71 on all three playing cards.
