Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
In just three years as a professional, Teofimo Lopez is on the cusp of a world title shot, with Vasiliy Lomachenko in his sights for 2020.
This loaded weekend of combat sports will primarily be centered around Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman and UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards. Lost in the shuffle is Friday’s Top Rank on ESPN+ show, topped by a man who is on the cusp of being a major star in boxing.
21-year-old sensation Teofimo Lopez (13-0, 11 KOs) is a massive favorite to beat Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani (18-0, 12 KOs), with the winner slated to fight IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey (29-2, 26 KOs). According to Lance Pugmire of The Athletic, a “predetermined deal” is already in place for Commey vs. Lopez to headline a show at the end of 2019.
Lopez turned professional in November of 2016, months after he was eliminated in the opening round of the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While his stay in the Olympics was short-lived, he’s developed himself into a must-see attraction capable of highlight-reel KOs, and Fortnite-themed celebrations.
Recognized as 2018’s Prospect of the Year by ESPN, Yahoo, and Sports Illustrated, The Honduran-American has made the most of increased exposure on major Top Rank shows. Last December, he raised eyebrows with his 44-second, one-punch KO of veteran Mason Menard at Madison Square Garden Theater. To top it all off, he sported the jersey of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, who’d won college football’s Heisman Trophy award earlier that evening.
He would soon co-headline February’s Super Bowl weekend show in Texas against former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno, not really a contender at present but certainly a step-up from Menard. Lopez thoroughly outclassed Diego, with both Magdaleno’s corner and the referee failing to stop the fight in a timely manner. The end result was a spectacular yet frightening KO, followed by a taunt that no matter how he may have justified it, certainly could rub people the wrong way.
That victory earned him another co-feature spot, this time his first career 12-rounder on the undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan pay-per-view. Facing top-15 lightweight Edis Tatli, “The Takeover” finished the Finn with a body shot in round five.
Through thirteen pro fights, Lopez has looked the part of a future champion. He combines high-end athleticism an impressive set of offensive skills, in-ring showmanship, excitement, and a personality brimming with confidence bordering on outright arrogance. He’ll either be beloved or loathed just by the way he’s conducted himself, but fans will ultimately tune in and watch because he’s so damn entertaining.
Lopez isn’t interested in the typical slow rise to the top that we so often see for heavily hyped boxing prospects; on his radar is consensus #1 pound-for-pound boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“Of course I’m ready, I believe that I am a world champion I just don’t have the belt yet,” Lopez told Boxing News in April. ”Absolutely. I think the thing is that people put too many fighters on a pedestal too high.
“When it comes to beating him, when we fight, I’ll show everyone what it is, how to beat this guy. He’s been beaten before so why can’t I beat him again?”
And Top Rank seems to be obliging Lopez and his team. Assuming Lomachenko defeats Luke Campbell in August, and Lopez bests Nakatani and Commey, we will almost certainly see Loma against Lopez for the right to be called undisputed lightweight champion.
There are still major question marks concerning Lopez that have yet to be answered. We do not know how he responds to serious adversity, and while his quality of opposition has strengthened since 2018, he’s yet to face a truly world-class lightweight. Commey fits the bill and that’s the fight we’ll have next if Lopez gets past Nakatani. If he runs through the heavy-handed Ghanaian to claim his first world title, then the hype is more than justified.
Sure, there is a significant chance that the bold and brash Lopez may become the latest man to be summarily humbled by the great Ukrainian, but you’d rather he take on the toughest challenges now instead of be stuck in a rotation of uninteresting matchups that would be a royal waste of time. Lomachenko aside, Teofimo’s future appears to be at 140 lbs, where the likes of Regis Prograis, Josh Taylor, Ivan Baranchyk, and others field a deeper and more exciting weight class.
If 2018 was his emergence from prospect to serious contender, and 2019 is shaping up to be his upgrade from contender to possible world champion, then 2020 may determine whether he’s on his way towards pound-for-pound greatness, major fame, and much more.
Lopez vs. Nakatani airs on ESPN+ from Oxen Hill, Maryland at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.