WBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE RESOLUTION In the Matter of Jr. Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Top Rank, Inc., on behalf of Teofimo Lopez, Jr., formally requests “WBO Super Champion” status in the Jr. Welterweight Division.

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

 

From: Carl Moretti <cmoretti@Date: August 21, 2023 at 8:56:57 PM ASTTo: Paco <pacoval@, golivieriesq@Cc: Jeremy Koegel <JKoegel@Subject: Teofimo Lopez

8/21/2023

 

Gentleman,

 

I hope this letter finds you well.

 

The purpose of my communication is to respectfully request that consideration be given for elevating current WBO jr. welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez to Super Champion status.

 

As you are aware Teofimo most recently defeated then WBO world champion Josh Taylor at MSG on June 10. His performance has received accolades throughout the boxing community as well as a nomination for “Performance of the Year”.

 

It should also be noted that Taylor is a former Undisputed Unified 140-pound world champion never losing any of his titles inside the ring when he fought Teofimo.

 

This convincing victory, as well the dominant one against former unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, clearly reflects the magnitude of Teofimo’ accomplishments and justifies our request to be named a Super Champion in the junior welterweight division.

 

He is now once again listed as a pound-for-pound fighter and clearly “Must See TV”, as evident by his ratings on ESPN and across all social platforms that generate immense interest when he fights and defends his WBO jr. welterweight championship.

 

Should there be anything else you may require or would like to discuss in further detail please feel free to reach out to me at any time.

 

As always, we appreciate your consideration and sincerely believe in the merits of our request.

 

Regards,

Carl Moretti

Top Rank

Vice President-Boxing Operations

Cell:

Email:

image001.png

|||||

New York, NY – Continuing their extraordinary run of outstanding, once-in-a-lifetime events, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB has announced ‘THE TAKEOVER’ TEOFIMO LOPEZ, (16-0, 12 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, will defend his UNDISPUTED Lightweight World Titles, (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF) in the highly anticipated 12-round battle against Mandatory Challenger ‘FEROCIOUS’ GEORGE KAMBOSOS JR., (19-0, 10 KOs) of Sydney, Australia on Monday, October 4 in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and live on Pay-Per-View (8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT) with a FREEVIEW starting at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

Presented in association with DiBella Entertainment, advance tickets priced at $306, $206, $106, $81 and $56, will go on-sale Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET through MSG.com. The event will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View priced at $49.99 available globally through FITE.TV and on traditional cable/satellite via iNDemand.

Additional musical guests will also be announced for the full evening of entertainment. The entire event will be presented by NIGEL LYTHGOE, the Triller Fight Club visionary and producer.

Boxing fans will also be able to watch the fight on both streaming and TV PPV platforms. To order online/streaming, go to TRILLERFIGHTCLUB.com or FITE or any FITE OTT/Smart TV/mobile apps.

To watch on TV, viewers can order the event through every major cable, satellite, and telco provider in North America, including: Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, DIRECTV & U-Verse TV, Dish, Fios, and Optimum, among others (U.S.), as well as Rogers, Shaw, Sasktel, and TELUS (Canada). iNDemand, the leading transactional video-on-demand and PPV programming provider in North America, will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite, and telco distributor.

The eagerly awaited clash between the two undefeated warriors, at the top of the year’s boxing schedule for international boxing fans, was originally scheduled for June 19, 2021 prior to Lopez testing positive for Covid-19 of which he has made a full recovery. Known for his stunning knockout power, Lopez is world ranked #5 pound-for-pound by ESPN and #7 by RING Magazine.

The 24-year-old Lopez was the recipient of the prestigious 2020 ‘Fighter of the Year’ award by both RING Magazine and the Boxing Association of America in addition to many other international sporting platforms. On October 17, 2020, Lopez defeated unified (WBA, WBO, IBF) junior lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas, NV, completing the rare four-belt UNDISPUTED status, an esteemed historical honor only achieved by five other male boxers.

Truly feeling at home at THE Mecca, Lopez has fought six previous times at Madison Square Garden including his IBF world title knockout victory over Richard Commey on December 14, 2019.

A true sporting road warrior, the 28-year-old Kambosos Jr. earned his Mandatory Challenger status by traveling to London, United Kingdom on October 31, 2020 and soundly defeating hometown favorite Lee Selby over twelve rounds. Prior to that, Kambosos Jr., also fighting on December 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden, was victorious in a dominant ten-round performance against former world champion Mickey Bey.

Known for his extended training camps with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Kambosos is an Australian born fighter of Greek heritage. He is a huge star in both Greece and Australia drawing tens of thousands to each of his fights.

|||||

Scotland has a new undisputed champion. Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor outlasted Jose Ramirez in an instant classic, notching a unanimous decision (114-112 3x) to capture the junior welterweight title. With the win, Taylor becomes the sixth male undisputed champion of the four-belt era, and the first from Scotland to do so.

Ramirez, who had been world champion since March 2018, invested in the body in the early going, but Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) was equal to the task in the trenches.

The tide turned in the sixth round when Taylor nailed Ramirez with a straight left hand as Ramirez lunged forward. In the seventh, an uppercut planted Ramirez to the canvas. Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) nearly dug himself out of the hole, sweeping the last four rounds on one scorecard and winning three of the last four on the other two.

Taylor said, “I’m ecstatic. I’ve trained my whole life for this. I’ve dedicated my whole life for this moment. I’ve dreamt of it so many times over, man. I’m so, so happy. I’m over the moon. I’ve trained for this moment all my life.

“I’ve got nothing but love for Ramirez. This week was no disrespect. It was all part of the mind games to get in his head, to make him more eager to jump in at me and be more aggressive, to use his aggression against him.

“I thought the scorecards were a little tight. I thought they were well wider than that. I wasn’t too happy with the selection of the judges, but I wasn’t going to moan. I was confident in winning this fight anyway.”

Ramirez said, “He took advantage testosterone gel of some of those clinches but, hey, I got back up and tried to give it my best and stay smart. I was never hurt. I was aware. I was just disappointed every time it happened. I tried to shake it off and get back to my rhythm. But it was overall a good fight. Hopefully, I get back and I learn from my mistakes. You win some and you lose some.

“I felt like I landed some clean shots. It came down to the clinches. He would let his hands go as soon as he got his chance and I think I left it to the referee to do his part and it was a lack of experience on my part.”

||||||||

(March 2, 2021) — Two undefeated junior welterweight kings, one undisputed title. The stakes don’t get any higher.

WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, will fight Scotland’s IBF/WBA champion Josh Taylor for the undisputed world championship Saturday, May 22. The winner will become only the second undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era, joining pound-for-pound great Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Promoted by Top Rank, Ramirez-Taylor will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (and simulcast on ESPN+) starting at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. The location, venue, and undercard information will be announced shortly.

“This is the best boxing has to offer, two elite fighters in the prime of their careers colliding in a legacy-defining matchup for the undisputed championship of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a true 50-50 fight, one that the fans and both fighters demanded.”

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) has been a world champion since March 2018, when he toppled Amir Imam via unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC strap. Following the Imam victory, he hired noted trainer Robert Garcia, and the duo has combined to go 4-0 in world title fights. Ramirez knocked out Maurice Hooker in July 2019 to unify world titles and defended his belts last August with a majority decision over former world champion Viktor Postol. Ramirez, a proud son of Mexican immigrants who hails from Avenal, Calif., is an agent of social change in his community. He’s devoted his time and resources to myriad causes, including cancer research, water rights for area farmers, and COVID-19 relief for Central Valley field workers.

“I look forward to making history by becoming the first boxer of Mexican descent to hold all four major world title belts,” Ramirez said. “I dedicate this fight to the Central Valley farm workers, who are out there every day helping feed the world. This fight is big, but nothing is bigger than getting vaccinations to the farm workers right now in the Central Valley.”

“No excuses, no fake social media promises, no grandstanding. This is the best fighting the best at their absolute best,” said Rick Mirigian, Ramirez’s manager. “Jose will have his hand raised in the end, solidifying his status as a Hall of Famer.”

Like Ramirez, Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) fought as a lightweight at the 2012 London Olympics, where he advanced to the Round of 16. While he didn’t turn pro until 2015, “The Tartan Tornado” won the Commonwealth 140-pound title in only his seventh pro bout. Taylor toppled Postol by unanimous decision in 2018 and won the IBF world title the following year with a decision over Ivan Baranchyk. He unified the IBF and WBA titles in October 2019, edging Regis Prograis by majority decision in a brutal masterpiece. He made his first defense as a unified champion last September, blasting out mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong in the first round. Taylor hopes to make a little history of his own as the first undisputed, four-belt Scottish champion.

Taylor said, “I’m excited it’s been finalized and over the line. I can’t wait to get in there for the biggest fight of my career. Fighting for the undisputed title is something all boxers dream about.”

Use the hashtag #RamirezTaylor to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 12.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

||||||||||

Vasily Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez brought in massive ratings of close to 3 million viewers on ESPN last Saturday night. According to Mike Coppinger, the Lopez-Lomachenko fight peaked at 2.898 million viewers, with an average of 2.1 million.

The 23-year-old Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) made history by becoming the youngest undisputed WBO Lightweight champion in beating Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision.

The Lomachenko vs. Lopez fight was the most viewed boxing telecast of 2019 and 2020, which is impressive given all the fights that have taken place.

More on https://www.boxingnews24.com/2020/10/lomachenko-vs-lopez-peaked-at-around-3-million-viewers-on-espn/
Article by Mark Eisner

||||||||

There is a new undisputed WBO lightweight king. Teofimo Lopez toppled Vasiliy Lomachenko by unanimous decision in a superstar-making performance Saturday evening from the MGM Grand Conference Center, and in doing so, he became the youngest undisputed champion (23) in the four-belt era.

Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) won by wide margins (119-109, 118-110 and 116-112), fulfilling the prophecy by his father/trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr., who predicted long ago that his son would be undisputed champion by his 16th professional fight.

Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs), a three-weight world champion, saw his 13-bout winning streak come to an end.

Said Lopez, “I had to dig deep, man. I’m thankful. I’m grateful. And each and every day, I take that in. I thank God first because I couldn’t do it without him.

“I’m a fighter. I gotta dig in deep. I knew he was coming. I didn’t know if they had him up on the scorecards or not, and I love to fight. I can bang, too. I don’t care, man. I’ll take one to give one. That’s what a true champion does. I find a way to win.

“You just gotta keep pressuring him, press the gas, stick the jab and don’t really give him that opportunity to set up. Every time he did want to throw, I had something ready for him.”

Barboza Decisons Saucedo

In a battle of junior welterweight contenders, the unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. (25-0, 10 KOs) notched the most significant win of his career, surviving a knockdown to defeat former world title challenger Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo (30-2, 19 KOs) via 10-round unanimous decision. Barboza, ranked in the top 10 by two of the major sanctioning bodies, now has his sights on a world title shot.

Barboza said, “This was like a championship fight to me. It’s all because of my father {head trainer Arnold Barboza Sr.}, not me. I did this for kids and my father. My dream is to get a house for my kids. I came that much closer today.

“I want a championship fight. No more messing around. No more tune-up fights.”

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

||||||||

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, Approximately 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

• Vasiliy Lomachenko 135 lbs vs. Teofimo Lopez 135 lbs
(Undisputed WBO Lightweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Steve Weisfeld, Julie Lederman and Tim Cheatham
Referee: Russell Mora

• Alex Saucedo 140 lbs vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. 140 lbs
(Vacant WBO International Junior Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

|||||

(October 14, 2020) — Two-plus years of bad blood ignited Wednesday evening when Unified WBO lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez shared the stage for Wednesday’s press conference in advance of Saturday’s super fight (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET).

Lomachenko and Lopez had not been in the same room since last Dec.14, the night Lopez knocked out Richard Commey to win his world title. Shortly after that sensational knockout, Lomachenko entered the ring and welcomed Lopez to his club.

The lightweight champions sat 12 feet apart on a stage inside the ring. The tension never boiled over, but it was palpable. This is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I won’t know {how the layoff will impact me} until Saturday night. I have never been out of the ring for one full year like this. Ever. I don’t know how it will be.”

“I think it’s just a ring and judges and TV. That’s it. And, of course, four belts.”

“I’m thinking only about my future fight and the fight on Saturday. That’s it.”

“For me, I think it will be a chess match.”

Teofimo Lopez

“Hard work pays off. Eighteen years in, and it’s just the beginning, You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“The Takeover is not just a phrase we throw out there. This is the part where I’m leading the new generation. Winning this is a stamp and a mark to put on for the new era.”

“Get your popcorn ready and just enjoy the show. It’s ‘The Takeover.'”

“A true champion can adapt to everything. It goes for both of us. He fought in arenas sold out. I fought in arenas sold out. My job and my thing are having all of these belts wrapped around me.”

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

||||||||

Unified WBO lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has hit out at the boasts of Teofimo Lopez, the IBF belt holder in the same division, when they fight in October.

Lomachenko has responded to the verbal jabs by Teofimo Lopez, the IBF belt holder in the same division.

The pair are due to fight on October 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to unify the titles.

Lomachenko has engaged in something of a running war of words with Lopez in the build-up to the fight, but he has taken exception to Lopez’s claims that he could end the Ukrainian’s career.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lomachenko said “In my country, if you insult somebody, you’d better be prepared for them to hurt you.”

“If we were back in my country, he would learn pretty quickly that he can’t run his mouth like that,” he continued.

“Whatever I say, I believe in it. So what he’s saying, for example, he actually believes. But if he doesn’t follow it up with actions and fulfill those words, then he chose those words poorly to begin with. I’m definitely not going to feel sorry for him.”

The 32-year-old boxer last fought at the end of August 2019 when he defeated Luke Campbell by unanimous decision, but he is not worried by the extended break away from competitive boxing.

“Everything is good,” Lomachenko claimed.

“I’ve had a one-year break without a fight. Now I’m healthy and happy. I’m 32, I’ve been very long in this sport so, of course, my body has tired a little bit. But I’ve had a break.”

He explained that he sees a bout with Lopez as a means to achieving his goal of unification.

“I am close to my goal. This is one step closer to my dream. Fans love the interesting fights with top fighters. Now we have a unification (fight) and we are the top fighters in this weight class. It was my goal when I started my pro career. It was always my dream. I did 126 lbs, I tried 130 lbs, now I try 135 lbs and it is very close. I want to unify.

“I want to put my name in boxing history. I started very early – my second fight of my pro career was a world title fight. I want to do something special with this opportunity.”

Via https://www.dazn.com/en-NZ/news/amp/boxing/vasiliy-lomachenko-wont-feel-sorry-for-hurting-teofimo-lopez/

|||||

Top Rank has officially released the artwork for the Lomachenko-Lopez Unified WBO Lightweight Championship Clash

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s fight with Teofimo Lopez Jr. will take place inside the bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Oct. 17.

Top Rank announced a number of fight nights as live boxing continues to come back from the COVID-19-enforced shutdown, including Vasiliy Lomachenko’s anticipated showdown with Teofimo Lopez Jr. for Oct. 17.

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) and Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) were originally set to clash with the Ukrainian’s titles put up against the unbeaten American’s IBF strap at Madison Square Garden, before the hoped May 30 date was one of many to be washed away by the coronavirus pandemic.

The MGM Grand, venue for so many all-time great boxing clashes, has been nicknamed “The Las Vegas Bubble” as it prepares to welcome post-lockdown action across a number of weekend dates, all of which conforming to COVID-19 protocol.

|||||||||

Top Rank’s Bob Arum announced Tuesday that Vasiliy Lomachenko will face Teofimo Lopez on Sept. 19 in a lightweight title unification bout.

According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, Lomachenko and Lopez were originally scheduled to meet on May 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lomachenko is the WBO and WBA Lightweight champion, while Lopez holds the IBF Lightweight title.

There is still plenty that needs to be worked out regarding the fight, including where it will occur and whether fans will be able to attend.

Arum said the following about the rationale behind scheduling it now: “In talking with Lomachenko and Lopez, neither of them want an interim fight. So we would plan to do that in September, with or without an audience.”

Per Baby, Arum hinted at Lomachenko vs. Lopez being a pay-per-view fight held in Las Vegas, although that isn’t yet set in stone.

More on https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2898418-vasiliy-lomachenko-vs-teofimo-lopez-title-fight-set-for-sept-19-per-bob-arum

||||||

Bob Arum revealed this week that Unified WBO Lightweight Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko will be traveling to the United States on June 15 for his September unification fight against IBF champion Teofimo López.

Arum will be staging the Lomachenko vs. Teofimo fight in front of a small crowd of 2,500 spaced out in a large arena in September. It isn’t ideal for such a massive fight like this to take place in front of a small crowd, but there’s not much else they can do.

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) and Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) were scheduled previously to meet at the end of May in New York, but the pandemic upset those plans.

Teofimo, 22, is looking huge right now and is said to be in the mid-150s. This week, Teofimo was lifting weights, and looking like a short junior middleweight. The weight cut or Teoimo is going to be difficult, as he’s going to need to lose approximately 20 pounds to make the 135-pound limit.

It’s doable for Teofimo because he’s young, and can probably get away with it. With that said, you can bet that Lomachenko will be attempting to drag Lopez into the later rounds to take advantage of his weight loss.

Lopez’s weight issues could work for Lomachenko, but maybe not. Younger fighters can cut enormous amounts of weight without it hurting them, which is why they have an advantage over the older guys. If Teofimo isn’t weight drained for this fight, Lomachenko could be in for a world of hurt.

A guy has never hit Lomachenko with the kind of size and power that Teofimo has. For Lomachenko to beat Teofimo, he’s going to need to take a lot of heavy blows.

“As far as fighters outside of the United States, there’s a limit to what we can do,” said Arum. “In other words, we don’t fly the planes. I don’t have any influence with this White House, thank God as to lifting travel bans, but where there’s a will there’s a way.

“And I know that Vasiliy Lomachenko, for example, will be coming to the United States sometime in June. I don’t know when the Brits can come. I don’t know when the Canadian’s can come. This is ready out of our hands now,” said Arum.

The Fighters Must Find A Way Into The U.S.

“So every fighter that wants to come over and wants to participate in these shows and continue their careers has got to find a way to do that on their own with their advisers,” said Arum. “We’ll facilitate anything we can. But our power is greatly limited,” said Arum.

As you can see, Top Rank isn’t going to be able to help all their fighters make into the United States with their help. So if they want to participate in Top Rank’s cards, they’ll need to find a way to enter the U.S with the help of their managers and advisers.

It would be interesting to know whether Arum helped the 32-year-old Lomachenko with his documentation to get him into the States. The famous fighters are too crucial for Top Rank to leave it up to them without giving them a hand if needed.

If Lomachenko can’t make it into the United States, then that’s a showstopper. It’s good that Lomachenko is coming to the States this week because that’ll give Arum and Top Rank enough time to explore other options if he’s blocked.

In hindsight, it was a mistake for Lomachenko to go back to Ukraine because he was in the U.S not long ago. He probably didn’t realize how much trouble it would be for him to return to the U.S because of the pandemic situation.

Teofimo Lopez Gives The Secret To Cutting Weight
“‘How much do I weigh right now?’ 156. Six pounds to go to where I want to be at,” said Teofimo this week in answering questions on social media. “And then just lose [water weight to get down to 135].

“‘How do you lose that much weight? Is it healthy for your body?’ You’ve got to drink a lot of water. I drink two gallons of water every day. When I’m in camp, I drink a little bit more than two gallons every day. Foodwise, I love to eat. Food is life, but it’s what you eat and the amount of food you eat and your meals and abundance,” said Teofimo Lopez.

“You don’t want to eat a big amount. Everything has to be fist-sized. Usually, I’ll eat five times a day, including two snacks. If you want me to get in detail and all that. Fish is good. Anything with low sodium. Make sure its low sodium. Don’t eat carbs unless you’re trying to build up weight-wise. If you’re trying to lean up with muscle, then you can try and build up with carbs. A lot of conditioning.

“Once I get into camp, that’s when I drop those next 15 pounds [with the help of his trainer],” said Teofimo. “Right now, I’m making their job easier, and they make it easier for me. None of that good food thing you guys like. You’ve got to throw that out the window if you want to lose weight. I’m trying to come back as soon as possible. Pain is a weakness in the mind, baby,” said Teofimo.

By Sean Jones / BoxingNews24.com

|||||||||