GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. You saw Teofimo Lopez in high-def focus, right then and there on Saturday night. Every time he wanted to throw, I had something ready for him. Both men by now had swelling around their eyes but it was Lomachenko who began to assert his authority - albeit too late - as he forced Lopez on to his back foot for the first time. Real or not: Canelo-GGG III in 2021? And that's what it comes to.". And the fight continued to slip away from the Ukrainian as it entered the second half. Vasiliy Lomachenko isn’t infallible after all. In case Lopez Sr. hadn’t made himself clear, he yelled “Blowout!” when Teofimo came to the stool after the seventh round. For years, Top Rank has looked for ways to build Lopez's brand as he built the foundation for his professional career. I can't give him that.". That joke summed up why Lopez has one of the brightest futures in the sport. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Now, at 23 years old, Lopez is a unified lightweight champion, and the showmanship he displayed during his rise in the sport has now been matched by his in-ring accomplishments. Lopez had predicted a sixth-round stoppage but instead he had taken complete control of the bout on the cards with Lomachenko arguably needing an unlikely knockdown to win. Lopez won the first seven rounds on every judge’s card. He has been a sports columnist for newspapers since 1980 and a professional sportswriter since 1974.Mark Whicker has worked for SCNG newspapers since 1987. But the kid has a chin to match his mouth, and when he got a chance to fight the first 12th round of his career, the time in which Lomachenko had protected Lopez would “drown in the deep water,” he understood what that meant. What went wrong between Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and DAZN? He cemented that status with a win over Lomachenko -- ESPN's No. Is this the right fight for both? (2:12). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The New Yorker added the WBA and WBO straps to his IBF belt, although technically Lomachenko remains the WBC's 'franchise' champion. By doing that, and by winning, the charismatic, marketable and affable Lopez accelerated his path into boxing superstardom and made considerable progress down the path of being one of the sport's most lucrative fighters. Whicker: Lomachenko vs. Lopez winner takes all finally And Teofimo Lopez definitively proved that on Saturday night. Who has the edge in Taylor-Ramirez? He did his usual backflip in the midst of the ring. Whicker: Edgar Berlanga is boxing’s new Minute Man Lopez was clearly feeling the pace as the bout entered its final six minutes but Lomachenko fell short of securing the knockdown he needed. Lopez (16-0, 13 KOs) controlled the action for the first seven rounds until Lomachenko found his offense. "All you've got to do is not give him the opportunity to set up and when he did want to throw I had something for him. Real or Not: Fury-Wilder III without fans? Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Senior also said Junior would most likely graduate to the 140-pound division, which is loading up by the second. Divisional rankings -- The top 10 fighters per division, WBA-IBF champ Taylor demolishes Khongsong.