Teofimo Lopez, the 25-year-old Brooklynite, announced his retirement from the sport of boxing after winning the WBO and lineal junior welterweight titles against Joshua Taylor last weekend in Manhattan. This announcement came after the boxer relinquished his junior welterweight title, as confirmed by WBO President Paco Valcarcel in a tweet.
Although Lopez has retired, it remains to be seen whether he will stay retired. The young boxer, who goes by the name “The Takeover,” won the lightweight titles from Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020. However, his very next fight was an upset defeat to Australia’s George Kambosos, which led him to move up in weight to junior welterweight. In this division, Lopez appeared less than impressive in two wins.
Despite doubts from many, Lopez dominated the entire fight against the previously undefeated Scotsman, Joshua Taylor, at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. This win was a high achievement, but there are those who believe the fighter will eventually aspire to find new mountains to climb.
While there is plenty of competition out there, at least for the time being, Lopez could potentially earn a considerable amount of money and attention if he decides to return to the sport. The exceedingly talented WBC junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis and the wildly popular Ryan Garcia are two names that could provide challenging fights for Lopez. However, this is a dangerous sport, and Lopez’s decision has to be respected, whether he decides to remain retired or not.
Lopez thanked everyone for their support in his career, especially the sanctioning bodies in boxing that showed him he was more than a boxer. While he may have retired at the top, there is no doubt that the young boxer has a bright future ahead of him if he decides to continue his career.
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