Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on SportingNews.com.
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Teofimo Lopez has changed the game.
The 23-year-old shocked the boxing world by dethroning arguably the best fighter in the world pound for pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, via unanimous decision to become the unified 135-pound champion.
Lopez demonstrated tremendous poise as he put together an exquisite performance to win by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and a preposterous 119-109. Regardless of that last score, the right man won.
It wasn’t just that Lopez beat Lomachenko but also the way he did it. If Lopez would have knocked out the Ukrainian, then detractors would have suggested a lucky punch was involved. Instead, Lopez deployed a masterful game plan, kept his composure when things got dicey and pulled off the unthinkable: He outboxed Lomachenko.
But what Lopez did Saturday night went beyond him fulfilling his personal prophecy. He also kicked down the door for young fighters to get opportunities immediately. If a 23-year-old can outbox the greatest amateur boxer to walk the earth, then what can the rest of the under-25 crowd do?
For years, boxing has forced young fighters to wait their turn before being given a chance at becoming a world champion against the biggest names in the sport. Boxers get world title shots with spruced-up records like 35-0, with 30 knockouts, that are racked up against a litany of names people have never heard. There’s nothing wrong with a fighter getting in rounds to see different looks and sharpen their skill set. But there are also fighters who have been spinning their wheels against no-name opponents while they await an opportunity.
And the fans have had to suffer as rising stars are engaged in numerous mismatches to build records. It’s not fun for the fans and it can’t be fun for the fighters who believe they are ready now.
To be clear, some fighters actually need the rounds. Deontay Wilder was far from world champion material despite starting his career with 32 knockouts in 32 wins. There were holes in his game that needed to be plugged and looks from opponents that needed to be seen. Rising super middleweight wrecking machine Edward Berlanga certainly could stand an uptick in durable opponents; He has collected 15 consecutive first-round knockouts to begin his career.
Then there are fighters like Lopez, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Jaron Ennis, Shakur Stevenson, Vergil Ortiz and many others who were told that they weren’t ready for the spotlight.
Lopez not only shut down that idea, he crushed it with his stellar performance against Lomachenko. Fighters under 25 should rejoice; now they can go through that door and get their own shot before that 36th fight.
A good amount of under-25 fighters have become world champions, but they’ve rarely become champions against the best in the business. Getting a shot against arguably the best in the world? Even more unlikely.
Lomachenko-Lopez was positioned a lot like Floyd Mayweather’s 2013 clash with Canelo Alvarez, when Mayweather schooled an opponent 13 years his junior. It was perceived as a dangerous fight for Mayweather, who was facing a younger and naturally bigger fighter. It certainly was a risk, but Mayweather put on a masterful performance in which experience was far more important than youth. Alvarez still got the much-needed rub for his career and has since gone on to become a top pound-for-pound fighter.
Lopez and, to a greater extent, his father-trainer should take a lot of responsibility for this fight taking place. The elder Lopez spent the past couple of years telling the world just how great his son was. To the younger Lopez’s credit, he made his father look like a genius in every outing. From the highlight-reel knockouts to the show-stealing celebrations, Lopez Jr. took advantage of the social media era by creating viral moments. He wasn’t just winning; he was also looking good while winning. All the while, his boisterous father continued to tell the media that his son would take out the greatest amateur in boxing history.
It was manifest destiny.
But Lopez the fighter still had to hold up his half of the bargain.
There were legitimate questions about whether he possessed the IQ to outthink Lomachenko. Brute force alone wouldn’t work. Little did the boxing world know, Lopez was way ahead of everyone else.
Unlike Alvarez, Lopez stuck to a game plan that included a steady diet of jabs and body punches that were hard enough to force Lomachenko to wait his turn. And that’s what the Ukrainian did, round after round after round. Clearly, Lomachenko’s plan was to break Lopez mentally by dissecting, and then turning upside down, his plan. Unfortunately for Loma, Lopez rarely broke stride. As the seventh round began, Lomachenko found himself in a hole. It wasn’t Lopez who couldn’t figure out how to get to him; it was Lomachenko who couldn’t get Lopez out of his rhythm.
That forced Lomachenko into the rare position of having to use pressure in hopes of cracking the younger fighter’s focus. He came close at times. In Rounds 9-11, an aggressive Lomachenko ripped Lopez with a combination that seemed to take the steam out of the fighter from Brooklyn.
What Lomachenko didn’t expect was Lopez biting down on his gumshield, never breaking character and staying within himself to not give “Hi-Tech” the opening he needed to win the fight.
It wasn’t strength and speed that beat Lomachenko but rather boxing IQ. Lopez proved he was mature enough to use his physical attributes in a manner that wouldn’t expose him to danger. It was a performance that we should be talking about for quite some time.
It also took the hinges off the door that had been keeping out a new generation seeking its pound of flesh from the top fighters. Not everyone will be as successful as Lopez, but these are the fights that fans want.
The boxing world is already salivating over the idea of Lopez facing Haney or Garcia. Or maybe Lopez will go up to 140 and challenge the winner of Jose Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor. Davis is lurking, too; he’ll face Leo Santa Cruz on pay-per-view at the end of October.
All of these fighters have a chance to cast their ballot for the fictional pound-for-pound list sooner rather than later thanks to Lopez.
A lot of credit needs to go to Lomachenko, as well. Yes, he wanted the title that Lopez held, but he wasn’t afraid to challenge the young lion. In hindsight, maybe he should have reconsidered that position. But that’s what great fighters do. And the best never turn down an opponent, regardless of age.
Will the older fighters accept the challenge from the new wave of fighters? Thanks to Lopez, now they have to.
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