Teofimo Lopez Marks Return With Convincing Knockout Victory

Teofimo Lopez was on his way to becoming one of boxing’s future stars in 2019. He was undefeated and taking apart the likes of Richard Commey in style. And then, he cemented his place on the world stage by defeating Vasyl Lomachenko by unanimous decision in 2020. But, with the IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight welts on the line, he lost by split decision in his first defence as king of the division to George Kambosos Jr.

The lightweight division is one of the most fiercely contested in the sport, with the likes of Kambos Jr and Devin Haney on the scene. But, when Lopez convincingly defeated the iconic Lomachenko, all eyes were on him. Many expected The Takeover to, well, take over the division and become undisputed. But, the Kambosos Jr loss posed questions about how good Lopez is, as, on the night, he seemingly had no game plan.

The defeat to the Australian came in November 2021, with almost a year-long break from the sport allowing Lopez and his team to plot the American’s next step. And instead of returning to lightweight, the decision was made to step up to super lightweight in the hope that the move from 135lbs could serve Lopez well. And, on his debut at super light, Lopez marked his return to action by defeating Pedro Campa by TKO in the seventh round In Las Vegas.

It was a solid night’s work from Lopez against Mexican Campa, who up until that point only had one defeat on his record, with thirty-four wins and one draw. It was an opportunity to not only shake off the ring rust but to announce himself as a force to be reckoned with at super lightweight as he looks to reignite his career following the devasting loss to Kambosos Jr.

Of course, in the wake of his victory, all eyes now turn to who comes next for Lopez, who isn't prepared to hang around and wait for the big fights. At the time of writing, the American is set to headline a December 10 Top Rank show that will be broadcast on ESPN from Maddison Square Garden. But his opponent for the bout at the end of the year is yet to be settled on.

Lopez was quick to suggest that he’d be open to fighting the likes of Josh Taylor, Regis Prograis and Jose Zepeda, which shows he’s aiming for the top and to become a two-weight and two-time undisputed champion. However, the big fights may be put on ice for now, as the likes of Taylor already have bouts pencilled in, with a rematch against Jack Catterall likely for the Scot.

But, one thing is for certain, Lopez is back, and he looked good against Campa. He has joined another division where there is a lot of talent, but in typical style, he’s out to prove he’s the best, and has put all the top super lightweights on notice. December 10 could be another step closer to becoming the king of another weight class.