Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia Both Want Teofimo Lopez In 2021
A 23-year-old prodigy named Teofimo Lopez just defeated the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world last night, Vasyl Lomachenko, to become the first ever undisputed lightweight champion in boxing history.
It was a shock to most, as Lomachenko was a heavy favorite coming in, and the fight was a bit closer than the scorecards revealed.
Andre Ward’s scorecard saw it as a draw, 114-114, while the three judges scored it 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109 for Lopez, who was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
Ward’s was perhaps the most accurate scorecard of the night. Lopez cruised through the first six rounds quite handily, only giving up the second round according to some, but Lomachenko started picking Lopez apart in round seven, and really found his timing and his range in round eight.
Lomachenko kept that going for the rest of the fight, rounds eight-through-twelve looked pretty similar, Lopez just did more in the final round.
Round twelve was close, and many people believed it would be the deciding round, a round that was very close, but when we saw the scorecards, we knew it wasn’t a deciding round. And that, right there, is what was wrong with this decision.
Lopez had already gained enough points on the scorecards, and that had many people outraged.
WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford, along with many others weren’t too happy with the scorecards. Some believe Lopez won, some believe Lomachenko won, but no one believes the scorecards should have been that wide.
As you see, not too many people were pleased with the decision. They just couldn’t stand the 119-109 scorecard, and understandably. This fight could’ve went either way, and probably should have been a draw.
That’s no discredit to Lopez however, he’s the man, he just beat the man, and he’s now the first ever undisputed lightweight champion in boxing history. He really did look incredible last night.
Though the picks for this fight were close, many believing Lopez would win, and many believing Lomachenko would win; most believed that if Lopez won, he’d have to knock Lomachenko out in the first three or four rounds.
The power he possesses, and the fact that Lomachenko is a late starting technician, that’s the shot people gave him. Regardless of the two wacky scorecards, Lopez showed us he can box, that he has all the technique in the world to carry him to greatness in this sport.
This begs the question, what’s next for Teofimo Lopez? He was asked at the post-fight press conference if he’d entertain a rematch with Lomachenko. His response was simply, ‘for what?’
Lopez did show some interest in moving up to 140 lbs, stating that making 135 lbs can be tough for him.
The 17-0 Josh Taylor and the 26-0 Jose Ramirez are fighting for all four 140 lb titles early next year, and Lopez cited them as potential next opponents, as he wants to move up and gain undisputed status in another division as well.
It was evident that Lopez was the bigger, stronger man in there. A move to 140 lbs might be great for him and his career.
The 24-0 Devin Haney and the 20-0 Ryan Garcia also have their sites set on Lopez, and if they win their upcoming bouts, he could also have a clash with one of them next.
Whatever is next, we’ll surely be watching. This young man has a ton of next options, it’s a good problem to have. He has a couple fights at 140 lbs he could tease, and he’s got a handful of fights at 135 lbs he could chase next.
Who would you like to see Teofimo Lopez face next?
