By: Sean Crose
He surprised a lot of people by beating Vasyl Lomachenko a few years ago. Now, after his own unexpected loss a short time later, Teofimo Lopez is working to establish himself in the junior welterweight division. A powerful, colorful New Yorker, Lopez is a must-watch TV, which is why fans will tune in to ESPN on Saturday night when the 17-1 boxer takes on Sandor Martin 40-2. in the main event of Madison Square Garden Cards. Martin is best known for defeating the famous Mikey Garcia in 2021, a victory that later resulted in Garcia retiring from the ring with his health and wealth deftly.
In fact, this is not an easy win for Lopez, if it ends in a win. Martin is a puzzle in the ring. Garcia was probably one of the most intentional fighters of his time and he just couldn’t understand Martin. Will Lopez be able to? Sure, he hits harder than Garcia, but Lopez has yet to prove his full potential since he moved from lightweight to middleweight. Without a doubt, Lopez will be the favorite when he comes in, but he will have to be in top form if he is to overtake Martin in front of the home crowd.
Sure enough, the only person to beat Lopez, George Kambosos, was a clumsy boxer. However, Lopez tried to do it too early in that game, clearly hoping to be eliminated early. Suffice it to say that he likely learned from experience. It’s worth noting that in the end Lopez did the best of Vasyl Lomachenko, who is arguably one of the most awkward boxers in the sport’s history. Believe it or not, there are plenty of fights on Saturday for the man. Names like Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis could be rivals if Lopez performs well this weekend.
Furthermore, Lopez is good for his promoter, Top Rated, simply because he has a diverse personality. “I need to drop out of 130 pounds because I no longer need to set an example there,” he said fightHub. Fun? Sure – but also smart. Such statements attract attention, interest and, ultimately, dollars. Lopez’ suddenly shouted at Martin during a promotional confrontation as well. To be sure – there’s only one Teofimo Lopez, and he wants you to know it. However, whether he will take over the junior welder class the way he did at lightweight, remains to be seen.
