Superstar Teofimo Lopez “The Takeover” has division under siege.
By Scottie “The Context” White
My Boxing needlepoint is twitching vehemently right now, the surging charge is pulsating a riveting interest to “The Takeover.” He’s breaking bad in a good way, swell of guy in this gentlemen sport, a fan friendly entertainer who reclines your boxing comfort as you gaze into the boxing stratosphere. This shooting star – Teófimo Andrés López Rivera, a Honduran American, Brooklyn born New Yorker. A jazzy “Fortnight” showman to his celebratory no hand back- flip into the hearts of adoring boxing fans.
Lopez an Undefeated lightweight superstar signed to the promotional flagship “Top Rank,” has ignited explosive sidebars in the past year with his moniker “The Takeover.” He’s amassed heavy rounds of bantering questions, not if he can but how expeditiously will the regional USBA/NABF titleholder ladder the bantamweight rungs to his first championship title. It’s been a windful tornado this superstar has blown in, as he’s recognized as the Ring magazine and ESPN boxing “Prospect of the year.” Not as if Lopez has reinvented a different form of boxing, he’s pretty much doctored a potent formula to his technical boxing mastery. Notice how Lopez is conditioned both mentally and physically, caustic words in his challenging enforcement but in the square the message from his gloves is uncharming, a belligerent pair of linguistic punishers.
Recently Lopez battled former champion Diego Magdaleno 31-3 (13 KOs) as the co-featured attraction in Frisco Texas. Magdaleno trash talked his aspersions toward Lopez Hondurian roots, highlighting the lack of winning effort to the country sport of soccer and boxing. At the presser, Lopez made it clear that he didn’t appreciate it and pretty much would handle it once the bell sounded.
Fight night, from the onset there was a competitive affliction charged up with a torchlit right-hand authority from Lopez. Allow me to elucidate my heated innuendos, the flames on Magdaleno shorts wasn’t enough to warm-up to the early arsenal of punches targeted from Lopez. It turned nuclear as Lopez heated up early, burning Magdeleno with sharp right-hand counters, laser leading strait left/rights and blistering Magdaleno with sheer speed.
Lopez channel rapper “little Wayne” with chewing up Magdaleno aggression “show me my opponent!” Lopez was active from any angle, a conductor to his orchestrated offense, a matador to his bullish luminary.
Through the early frames, Lopez was hellish in his boxing display, his work rate was diesel-intensive and the vigor of his fluidity offset the rhythm of Magdaleno. In the sixth round Lopez enacted a rearward behind the back step in punch landing on Magdeleno, then winking to the ringside commentary. On this night, the masterpiece was nearing to a close with Lopez earning a knockdown to tick away the sixth round. The threshold was clear and the danger present, as the bell sounded the seventh and final frame to a fiery finale as Lopez combinations torpedoed Magdeleno, two left hooks to the chin strap of Magdaleno – grounded his consciousness.
The fight was over as Lopez followed up with his patent “fortnight” number into a running back-flip landing just behind his downed opponent, gesturing a homerun motion out the ring. This of course frenzied his brother Jessie Magdeleno to rush the ringside apron for martial justice, but security mitigated the raucous.
What is next is a blatant reality. Lopez has voiced his motives moving forward, the name of any champion to his availability to challenge for the title. Recently he attended ESPN Max Kellerman- (MaxOnBoxing).
Lopez snippets to his interview-
MK ESPN: What do you feel about an eventual fight with Vasyl Lomachencko, if so, how soon.
TLopez: If it happens, it happens! What we’re looking forward to is world titles. (WBA/WBO) Vasyl Lomachenko has world titles,(IBF) Richard Commey has a world title, (WBC)Mikey Garcia has the world title but he’s at 147 right now. We’re here to fight the world champions, it doesn’t matter who it is, we’re looking for world titles, we here to fight world champions.
MK ESPN: It does matter because Richard Commey isn’t Lomachenko.
TLopez: Chuckles
MK ESPN: Right, because that’s a different type of fight. What do you think about Lomachenko.
TLopez: I feel Lomachenko does the same things over and over again, when it comes to footwork moving to the same side. There are three-to-four ways to beat Lomachenko you know?
MK ESPN: What are they?
TLopez: I can’t say!
MK ESPN: So, you not giving away the secrets?
TLopez: Absolutely not!
MK ESPN: So how soon will it be before you’re ready to fight him.
TLopez: I can fight him on April 20th, I can fight him whenever.
MK ESPN: You want the April date Commey had to give up because of the hand issue.
TLopez: Whatever it is, at the end of the day, there is no reason to wait, a time frame whatever. A true champion, in order for me to say I’m the best, I have to beat the best obviously. I don’t fear no man besides God, I don’t respect no man beside my father. So, when it’s said and done, who is Lomachenko to me.
MK ESPN: You’re a big 135-pounder, how long can you stay at the weight class?
TLopez: and he’s a small 135-pounder
MK ESPN: You mentioned April if the year lapses, can you stay at 135 weight class for the Lomachenko fight?
TLopez: I’m not going to wait on him, not going to wait for him. I told everybody this is my last year at 135, but we talked about it, I still have to build a name. They want to make a bigger fight, that fight can possibly be on pay per view. An things like that, they saying the end of 2019, or beginning of 2020.
Lopez barometer of words sent a piecing message to the current Pound4Pound king Vasyl Lomachenko. “I’m his worst nightmare.” Lopez is adamant about sharing the square with the three-division champion but elucidates “I won’t wait on him.” Lopez stated earlier, he’s there to fight champions, so don’t treat him as if he’s just an opponent, he is a bona-fide contender. Lopez has authored a twelve-page message to his unblemished resume, also underscoring his ownership to a fist of fury four fight knockout streak.
Two-time Olympic Gold medalist Lomachenko breached his usual quiescence to return fire. His retort was “I’ll be surprise he doesn’t quit in the middle of the fight.” He being Lopez!~ Verbal sparring will volume much more as days expire the weeks, leading up to Lopez calendared MSG date of mischief April 20. Name of his next opponent awaits beneath the (TBD) triage, but rest assured a name will buoy real soon to appease the boxing masses.
The intrigue in the boxing communal isn’t bobbing to the dangling carrot syndrome with this one, I don’t feel the teaser here. Lopez will square up in April for sure, but we’re in the shadows for a quick minute for the fine detail of this one, but soon enough, the promotional window will windex a clear opponent in upcoming weeks. There is a depth of jolting eagerness that cements this Lopez versus Lomachenko fight potential, honing closer than a year-plus pandering its forecast.
Let it be known, the boxing halo is bright for team Lopez and even better to see that he’s a sellable commodity as a fan favorite in the sport of boxing. Kudos to this father/son tandem who has refused to digress from the traveled path, one of hard work, sacrifices, and exceeding expectations toward the common goal of that championship supremacy. Next on his boxing manifest is Madison Square Garden, contending on the undercard of (WBO) welterweight superstar Terence Crawford who clashes with former unified light-welterweight champion Amir Khan, the promotional headliner, 20 April under bright lights in a star-studded extravaganza.