 Lopez in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname | The Takeover | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | Teófimo Andrés López Rivera (1997-07-30)July 30, 1997 (age 28) | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[2] | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | ||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 68+1⁄2 in (174 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 24 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Win by KO | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||
Teófimo Andrés López Rivera[3] (born July 30, 1997) is an Americanprofessional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in twoweight classes, having previously held theunified[a]lightweight championship and theWorld Boxing Organization (WBO)junior welterweight title; He also held theRing magazine lightweight and junior welterweight titles.
As anamateur, Lopez representedHonduras at the2016 Summer Olympics.
Lopez was born toHonduran immigrants on July 30, 1997, inBrooklyn, New York. His paternal grandfather, aSpaniard fromÁvila who was born in 1916, emigrated shortly after theSecond World War, going toBrazil first before settling inHonduras.[4] His father, Teofimo Lopez Sr. left Honduras with his mother at age 5, settling inBrooklyn.[5] The family eventually relocated toFlorida, where Lopez Sr. first started training his son at the age of 6.[6]
Lopez won the U.S. Olympic Trials[7] butCarlos Balderas had already secured the United States' solelightweight entry into the tournament asAIBA'sWorld Series of Boxing champion,[8] so Lopez was aware entering the trials that at best he could only qualify as an alternate for Balderas (who lost in the Olympic quarterfinals). Lopez was able to qualify for the Honduran team, where his parents are from, and reached the finals of theOlympic qualifying tournament for the Americas to earn his place in Rio. Lopez also won the 2015 NationalGolden Gloves. He competed in themen's lightweight event at the2016 Summer Olympics representing Honduras. where he was defeated by the eventual silver medalistSofiane Oumiha.[3]
Lopez signed withTop Rank in October 2016,[9] and made his debut on the undercard of theManny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas fight in November of the same year.[10] After compiling a perfect 10–0 record, he announced himself to the world stage in December 2018 by beating veteran Mason Menard with a knockout of the year candidate.[11]
In his next fight, Lopez, already ranked #9 by the WBA, #11 by the WBC and #10 by the WBO, faced another boxing veteran inDiego Magdaleno, which ended in another brutal knockout win for Lopez. He attracted some controversy after his exuberant celebration with Magdaleno still down on the canvas.[12][13]
Lopez's winning streak continued, improving to 13–0 with a fifth-round knockout victory against former world title challengerEdis Tatli on April 20, 2019, on the undercard ofTerence Crawford vs.Amir Khan atMadison Square Garden, New York City.[14]
On July 19, 2019, Lopez who was ranked #4 by theIBF at the time, faced undefeatedMasayoshi Nakatani, who was ranked #3, in a final eliminator for the IBF world lightweight title.[15] In the fourth round, Lopez knocked Nakatani down with his right hand, but the referee ruled it a slip. The fight marked the first time Lopez had gone 12 rounds in his career, and he was awarded aunanimous decision victory with scores of 118–110, 118–110, 119–109, setting up a clash with IBF championRichard Commey.[16]
On December 14, 2019, Lopez challenged the IBF lightweight championRichard Commey. Lopez won the IBF title in spectacular fashion after connecting on Commey with a big right hand, and finishing him with a second-round technical knockout. After the conclusion of the fight, Lopez was joined in the ring by fellow lightweight championVasiliy Lomachenko, with whom he took a photo with. When asked about his plans for his next fight and a possible unification bout with Lomachenko, Lopez replied, "You guys know who I want," referring to Lomachenko without explicitly naming him.[17][18]
In September 2020, Lopez agreed to fight unified WBA (Super), WBO, andThe Ring champion,Vasiliy Lomachenko, on October 17 at theMGM Grand inLas Vegas. It was the first major fight since the outbreak of theCOVID-19 pandemic. With no live audience, Lopez defied the odds with a stunning upset victory as he beat the highly-regarded Ukrainian by unanimous decision to unify the lightweight division and maintain his unbeaten record, with the judges' scorecards reading 116–112, 117–111 and 119–109.[19] The first seven rounds saw Lopez staying behind his jab and going to the body, with his opponent offering very little in response. In the second half, Lomachenko started coming out more offensively, landing more punches. However, in the final round, Lopez landed 50 of 98 punches thrown (51%), the most an opponent has landed on Lomachenko in a round. According to CompuBox stats, Lomachenko landed 141 of 321 thrown (44%), while Lopez landed 183 of 659 thrown (28%).[20]
Lopez declined to give Lomachenko a rematch, explaining that “everybody [in Lomachenko’s camp] was being a dick to me, my father. He [Lomachenko] didn’t want to put a rematch clause in our contract."[21] In the wake of his victory, Lopez asserted that he is theundisputed lightweight champion, despite not holding the WBC belt.[22][23] However, the claim was contested by many boxing analysts and fans, as the 'Franchise' version of the WBC title won by Lopez against Lomachenko lacks recognition from a large portion of the boxing community,[24][25][26] includingDevin Haney, recognized by others as the holder of the legitimate WBC lightweight title.[27][28]
Lopez's first defense of his unified lightweight championship had been scheduled for June 5, 2021, against undefeated contenderGeorge Kambosos Jr., before being delayed multiple times due to complications involving Lopez testing positive forCOVID-19,[29] and disputes over the venue of the fight.[30][31] The fight had gone to purse bids which was won byTriller with a winning bid of over US$6 million, leading to a fallout between Lopez andBob Arum, head promoter atTop Rank.[32] On October 6, it transpired that the IBF had found Triller indefault of its contract obligation to stage the fight, and that its rights would be awarded to the second highest bidder,Eddie Hearn'sMatchroom, meaning that the fight will be shown live exclusively on the streaming serviceDAZN.[33][34] Despite Kambosos entering the bout as a 13 to 1 pre-fight betting underdog,[35] he knocked down the champion in the first round of the fight. Despite returning the favor by knocking down Kambosos in the tenth round, Lopez ultimately lost the bout via split decision. One judge scored the bout 114–113 to Lopez, while the other two judges scored it 115–112 and 115–111 for Kambosos Jr.[36]
For Lopez's eighteenth professional fight, he moved up to thelight welterweight division. In his first bout at the weight class on August 13, 2022, he successfully rebounded from his loss against Kambosos by defeating Pedro Campa via seventh-round technical knockout after a dominant performance.[37]
Lopez would return on December 10, 2022, againstEuropean light welterweight championSandor Martín in his second bout at the 140 lb limit. The first round saw an aggressive start from Lopez, where Martin busted his nose during a clash of heads. Martin was able to knock Lopez down in the second round with a check right hook. The fight was competitive, resulting in a split decision after the final bell, with judges' scorecards of 97–92 and 96–93 in Lopez's favor, and 95–94 in Martin's favor.[38] Lopez was caught on camera in the ring post-fight candidly questioning his team: "Do I still got it?"[39]
On April 8, 2023, it was officially announced that Lopez would attempt to become a two-division world champion and challenge undefeated WBO andThe Ring light welterweight championJosh Taylor on June 10 at theHulu Theater in New York City. He won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming a 2 division world champion.[40] On June 12, Lopez announced his retirement from boxing.[41]
On February 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Lopez defeatedJamaine Ortiz by unanimous decision and made the first successful defence of WBO light welterweight title.[42]
Lopez made the second defense of his title againstSteve Claggett atJames L. Knight Center in Miami, FL on June 29, 2024. Winning on a unanimous points decision.[43][44]
In December 2024, it was announced that Lopez would make the third defense of his WBO junior welterweight title against former IBF championSubriel Matías on March 15, 2025.[45][46] The fight ultimately did not materialize however, with Lopez expressing dissatisfaction with his own promoterTop Rank for attempting to make the Lopez–Matías fight: "It's a shame that Top Rank has to put me with a guy, one offer, with Subriel Matías, who has no [commercial] value."[47] Lopez instead expressed interest in facingJaron Ennis orRichardson Hitchins, though those fights did not materialize either, ultimately returning to the ring onTurki Alalshikh'sTimes Square card as part ofRiyadh Season on May 2, 2025, defending his WBO andThe Ring titles against WBOinterim championArnold Barboza Jr.[48]
Lopez comprehensively outboxed Barboza Jr., recording his fourth consecutive unanimous decision victory. The official judges' scorecards read 116–112 twice and 118–110, with Lopez landing 127 of 574 punches. Barboza couldn't keep pace, with only 71 punches landed of 426 thrown. In his post-fight interview, Lopez again expressed interest in fighting unifiedwelterweight champion Jaron Ennis, referring to Ennis by his moniker "Boots": "I want to see Boots. I'mDora the Explorer and I'm looking for Boots."[48]
Following his victory over Barboza Jr., Lopez began negotiations for a highly anticipated matchup against WBClightweight championShakur Stevenson. In October 2025, Lopez and Stevenson engaged in a public exchange on social media to promote their potential bout. Stevenson wrote: "Destiny is calling. I can feel it. Four-division champion on the way." Lopez responded: "I'm putting you to sleep for all the times you put your fans to sleep with your performances! Sorry ass [expletive]. I got a new nickname for you: Mr. Sandman." Stevenson countered by saying: "You stopped zero people at 140. Now you're gone, put me to sleep? Teofimo, your time is up. I hope you enjoyed your run – four-division champion on the way."[49] The undefeated Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) and Lopez had both consistently alluded in recent weeks that they were negotiating to fight each other next, with the two appearing together on "Inside The Ring" in September to promote the potential matchup. Stevenson, ranked No. 8 onThe Ring'spound-for-pound list, expressed his intentions to move up in weight without a tune-up fight: "Pound-for-pound, I'm going to beat the man at 140, get the Ring Magazine belt, and laugh at all who doubted. No tune ups, no fights to get comfortable at the weight — just big balls and big dreams."[50]
The fight was expected to be part of aPremier Boxing Champions card and backed by Turki Alalshikh. Both expressed excitement for the matchup during theCrawford-Álvarez fight in Las Vegas. Stevenson was aiming to capture a fourth division title. While theBarclays Center in Brooklyn was the likely venue for the bout, it was stated that Stevenson’s camp preferredMadison Square Garden to avoid Lopez's hometown advantage.[51] On November 5, it was reported that negotiations were advancing positively regarding the fight. A potential date was identified as January 31, which would strategically place the event between theNFL conference championship games and theSuper Bowl, potentially increasing its visibility and viewership.[52] On December 1, the fight was announced to take place on January 31 in New York, as part of "The Ring VI", exclusively onDAZN. The fight would see Lopez defending his WBO junior welterweight title. Stevenson was aiming to become a four-division champion.[53] On December 9, Madison Square Garden was confirmed as the venue.[54] Stevenson was a heavy -350 favourite while Lopez was entering as a +250 underdog.[55][56] According to Lopez, there was no rematch clause in the contract.[57] Lopez revealed that his training focused on adjusting his fighting style to manage range and distance effectively. He described Stevenson as “one-of-one”, a unique and formidable opponent.[58]
On April 23, 2019, Lopez married his wife Cynthia Lopez, who is originally fromNicaragua. They first met on aDelta Air Lines flight from New York City to Las Vegas shortly after Lopez's victorious 9th pro fight against Vitor Jones Freitas, on which Cynthia was a flight attendant.[59] Shortly after marrying, they spent their honeymoon vacation in Greece.[60]In 2025, Lopez and his wife went through the divorce process.[61]
On June 15, 2021, Lopez tested positive forCOVID-19, leading to the postponement of hisfight with George Kambosos Jr.[62]
| 24 fights | 22 wins | 2 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 13 | 0 |
| By decision | 9 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Loss | 22–2 | Shakur Stevenson | UD | 12 | Jan 31, 2026 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Lost WBO andThe Ring light welterweight titles |
| 23 | Win | 22–1 | Arnold Barboza Jr. | UD | 12 | May 2, 2025 | Times Square, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained WBO andThe Ring light welterweight titles |
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Steve Claggett | UD | 12 | Jun 29, 2024 | James L. Knight Center,Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBO andThe Ring light welterweight titles |
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Jamaine Ortiz | UD | 12 | Feb 8, 2024 | Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBO andThe Ring light welterweight titles |
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Josh Taylor | UD | 12 | Jun 10, 2023 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | WonWBO andThe Ring light welterweight titles |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Sandor Martín | SD | 10 | Dec 10, 2022 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained WBO International light welterweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Pedro Campa | TKO | 7 (10),2:14 | Aug 13, 2022 | Resorts World Las Vegas,Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won vacantNABF and WBO Internationallight welterweight titles |
| 17 | Loss | 16–1 | George Kambosos Jr. | SD | 12 | Nov 27, 2021 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Lost WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, andThe Ring lightweight titles |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Vasiliy Lomachenko | UD | 12 | Oct 17, 2020 | MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained IBF lightweight title; WonWBA (Super),WBO, andThe Ring lightweight titles |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Richard Commey | TKO | 2 (12),1:13 | Dec 14, 2019 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | WonIBF lightweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Masayoshi Nakatani | UD | 12 | Jul 19, 2019 | MGM National Harbor,Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Edis Tatli | KO | 5 (12),1:32 | Apr 20, 2019 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained NABF lightweight title |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Diego Magdaleno | KO | 7 (10),1:08 | Feb 2, 2019 | The Ford Center at The Star,Frisco, Texas, U.S. | Retained NABA, NABF, and USBA lightweight titles |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Mason Menard | KO | 1 (10),0:44 | Dec 8, 2018 | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won vacantNABA,NABF, andUSBA lightweight titles |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | William Silva | TKO | 6 (10),0:15 | Jul 14, 2018 | Lakefront Arena,New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Won vacantWBC Continental Americaslightweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Vitor Jones Freitas | KO | 1 (8),1:04 | May 12, 2018 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Juan Pablo Sanchez | UD | 6 | Feb 3, 2018 | American Bank Center,Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Josh Ross | TKO | 2 (6),1:57 | Oct 13, 2017 | A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Christian Santibanez | UD | 6 | Jul 7, 2017 | A La Carte Event Pavilion,Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Ronald Rivas | KO | 2 (6),2:21 | May 20, 2017 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jorge Luis Munguia | TKO | 2 (6),0:48 | Apr 21, 2017 | Osceola Heritage Center,Kissimmee, Florida, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Daniel Bastien | KO | 2 (6),0:39 | Mar 17, 2017 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Francisco Medel | TKO | 4 (4),0:58 | Feb 24, 2017 | Tony Rosa Community Center,Palm Bay, Florida, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Ishwar Siqueiros | KO | 2 (4),2:03 | Nov 5, 2016 | Thomas & Mack Center,Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur boxing titles | ||||
| Previous: Maliek Montgomery | U.S. Golden Gloves lightweight champion 2015 | Next: Maliek Montgomery | ||
| Regional boxing titles | ||||
| Vacant Title last held by Ryan Martin | WBC Continental Americas lightweight champion July 14, 2018 – November 2018 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Adrian Estrella | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Ray Beltrán | NABF lightweight champion December 8, 2018 – November 2019 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Oscar Duarte Jurado | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Devin Haney | USBA lightweight champion December 8, 2018 – November 2019 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Michel Rivera | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Demond Brock | NABA lightweight champion February 2, 2019 – September 2019 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Chris Colbert | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Lee Reeves | NABF light welterweight champion August 13, 2022 – December 2022 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Steve Claggett | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Arnold Barboza Jr. | WBO International light welterweight champion August 13, 2022 – June 10, 2023 Won world title | |||
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by | IBF lightweight champion December 14, 2019 –November 27, 2021 | Succeeded by | ||
| Preceded by | WBA lightweight champion Super title October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | |||
| WBO lightweight champion October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | ||||
| The Ring lightweight champion October 17, 2020 – November 27, 2021 | ||||
| Preceded by | WBO light welterweight champion June 10, 2023 – January 31, 2026 | Succeeded by | ||
| The Ring light welterweight champion June 10, 2023 – January 31, 2026 | ||||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: Jaime Munguia | The Ring Prospect of the Year 2018 | Next: Vergil Ortiz Jr. | ||
| Previous: Canelo Álvarez | The Ring Fighter of the Year 2020 With:Tyson Fury | Next: Canelo Álvarez | ||
| BWAA Fighter of the Year 2020 | ||||
