NEW YORK — When he’s switched on, few fighters can compete with Teofimo Lopez.
The two-division world champion’s brilliance materialized in the ring against previously unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. as he cruised to a wide unanimous decision to retain his WBO junior welterweight championship on Friday in the unique setting of Times Square.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) routinely beat Barboza to the punch, easily evaded his opponent’s offense and was too skilled as he compiled scorecards of 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110.
Lopez, fighting out of Las Vegas, was coming off a unanimous decision win over Steve Claggett. But questions regarding Lopez reaching his full potential inside the ring had followed him over his past few fights.
He put those concerns to rest with a dominant performance against a slick boxer who hadn’t tasted defeat inside the squared circle.
Barboza (32-1) entered the fight fresh off an impressive split decision victory over Jack Catterall in February and had been after a fight with Lopez for years. Although he finally got what he wanted, he quickly realized he bit off more than he could chew against “The Takeover.”
Lopez’s physical advantages were on display early as he was elusive, slipping punches and frequently landing counters. Barboza worked hard to jab his way inside but wasn’t able to keep pace with the supremely talented Lopez.
As the rounds wore on, Lopez slid into a rhythm where he mixed in showboating with his pinpoint accuracy, while Barboza struggled to find his mark and had no plan B.
Between an accurate jab, a powerful counter right hand and sharp reflexes, Lopez was too much for his rival. By the late rounds, it was evident that Barboza needed a knockout, but the California fighter‘s lack of power made that outcome highly unlikely.
Lopez outworked Barboza, landing 126 of 571 punches. Barboza couldn’t keep pace, with only 70 punches landed of 424 thrown.
With the win, Lopez is looking for bigger mountains to climb and called out undefeated unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
“You know me guys, I go after the tough challenges,” Lopez said. “I want to see Boots. I’m Dora the Explorer and I’m looking for Boots.”
Source: espn.com