By: Sean Crose
“Invincible Teofimo Lopez Light Phenom,” I wrote back in 2018, “10-1, mid-string to face Mason Menard 34-3. The match was brief as if it was full of violence. Lopez rocked his men with a near-instant right, unloading his arsenal, then blasted Menard with a thunderous punch. Menard landed on his face, forcing the referee to stop play almost immediately. It’s reminiscent of Duran’s ‘knockout Pacquiao or even Hearns’ Marquez. Indeed, it could have been the knockout of the year.” Without a doubt at the time, Brooklynite Lopez was a force to be reckoned with.
It’s not too surprising, then, when Lopez beat a lone Vasyl Lomachenko a few years later in 2020. Sure, Lomachenko was the obvious favorite when he stepped in, but everyone knows the thunderous Lopez. and extremely confident will present a sizable challenge to the fighter known as “Hi Tech.” He ended up presenting more than that – he introduced the world of boxing to its newest star… himself. A new era seems to have begun. Lopez became a spokesperson for Bud Light. Upstart Triller rises above the Top Rated and the Chamber for the right to participate in Lopez’s next match, against a widely unknown opponent named George Kambosos. Looks like the future belongs to Lopez.
Except it didn’t.
First, the Triller deal was a success. Then, surprise by surprise, Kambosos beat Lopez in a much-delayed match last November. Simply put, Kambosos was able to do what everyone expected Lomachenko to be able to do – he was clearly ready for his man. Unfortunately, Lopez was displeased in the defeat, insisting instead that he did indeed win the fight. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pretty look for Lopez. Now, more than half a year later, Lopez will return to the ring this weekend.
For, on Saturday night in Vegas, the 15-1 boxer will get between the ropes to face little-known or lauded Pedro Campa, 34-1-1, in a scheduled round of 10. . This will be Lopez’s first time entering the junior weight class, so he will likely weigh more than when he was a dominant lightweight athlete. Lopez was clearly expected to win, but perhaps he understood better than most how a sport of boxing could surprise. However, if his head is straight, Lopez – who is nicknamed “The Takeover” – will make an impression. After all, he’s only 25 years old. If he saw everything clearly, he would realize that attacking the battle of Kambosos would be nothing but a waste of time.
