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Teofimo Lopez Silences Doubters, Beats Josh Taylor To Become Two-Weight World Champ

Written by Kerr Ferguson on 11th June 2023.

Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez Fight

Teofimo Lopez handed Josh Taylor the first loss of his professional career in New York, taking the WBO Super-Lightweight World title in the process.

The champion, Taylor – who was formerly undisputed but still undefeated – had been out of the ring for 15 months following a contentious decision over Jack Catterall. Any questions during the build-up about his form or how the layoff would affect him were eclipsed by those surrounding Lopez.

Interview antics, personal dramas and an apparent struggle with the weight left many fans believing the American shouldn’t be in the ring – but he quickly put any such speculation to an end. He was sharp and laser-focused.

Taylor managed to get himself on the inside from the first, which is somewhere you don’t want to find yourself with the Scotsman. Despite losing the round, Lopez took the shots from the southpaw stance with a bounce in his step.

Both were throwing with spite, and Lopez found his timing and range from the second onwards. Some of his cleaner work would buzz Taylor and was enough to take rounds in his favour. At stages, he was punch perfect.

It was the challenger who grew in confidence throughout the fight, taunting and dancing a little as they continued to trade just up until the point that it looked like it could become a firefight, but never quite going beyond.

The American was catching Taylor coming in too often for the champion to really build on his attacks, and he showed some excellent defence in spurts when he needed to. The speed and accuracy of the Lopez right hand was something Taylor failed to find an answer for, and a constant rhythm disruptor over the twelve.

By the championship rounds it looked like Taylor needed something spectacular to turn the tide. Teo continued to pop and move, landing an uppercut that snapped back the head of the champion.

He’d stagger an off-balance and rushing Taylor in the twelfth. It seemed the Scot was hurt to the body twice before the final bell, and Lopez finished it in style.

The pair showed respect after the bell before the decision was announced. Lopez was announced as unanimous decision winner with scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111.

In the post-fight statement everybody wanted, the new champion retracted his statements about looking to take Taylor’s life. He then threw it back to a question that worried fans after his last fight – ‘do I still got it?’ The answer, this time, was yes.

The enigmatic and controversial 25-year-old just silenced his doubters in a big way.