‘Retired at the top’ – Teofimo Lopez says he’s done at 25 after big win over Josh Taylor

It was only Teofimo Lopez’ third fight at junior welterweight, but he put an emphatic stamp on his victory over Josh Taylor, battering him for the majority of 12 rounds, and taking the WBO belt from the Scotsman as his prize. The officials scored the contest 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111. While two judges had Lopez only winning by two rounds, the judge that scored it 117-111 was much more accurate.

Teofimo Lopez may be done

It was a standout performance, almost erasing the memory of his last outing where he edged out a controversial split-decision with Sandor Martin in a fight many thought Martin won. Immediately following the event last night, Lopez would address questions in the media scrum, dropping his bombshell retirement announcement in the process:

“Twenty-five years young, seven-time world champion. Two-time lineal world champion, two-divisional world champion. I mean, two hall of fame careers in one at just 25. You can’t tell me I’m not great. You cannot tell me I’m not the double greatest since Muhammad Ali. This is what I do. This is what I do best. Now, just to stir it up, I might retire after this fight.” (credit Fighthub.TV)

Interviewers seemed to not take him seriously, as someone asked, “Who do you want next?” Teofimo Lopez, without missing a beat, said:

“Retirement. I’m kind of tired. I’m not getting paid enough. A million dollars? Get the f*ck out of here.”

Another would ask him, “Are you really retiring?” He replied “Yeah, I need a break.”

Instagram has confirmation

Lopez would take to his Instagram a couple hours ago to make a post, possibly confirming his statements from the media scrum. The post reads:

“What a relief! Retired at the Top. Thank you Boxing for the amazing life you’ve provided for myself and my entire loved ones! 🥊✨🏆✨🏆“

Smart minds will realize this is likely a bargaining tactic to acquire bigger purses. Calls for a bout with Devin Haney have run rampant today in boxing’s social media circles. Teofimo Lopez is a young talent with a growing name and plenty of competition that would put asses in seats. It’s highly unlikely he is calling it a career but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Check this out

Check out how Twitter reacted to Lopez’ win right here. Listen to the latest 6th Round post-fight show on the player below and catch the bonus version on our Substack.

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Stephie Haynes

Stephie Haynes has been covering MMA since 2005. She has also worked for MMA promotion Proelite and apparel brand TapouT. She hosted TapouT’s official radio show for four years before joining Bloody Elbow in 2012. She has interviewed everyone there is to interview in the fight game from from Dana White to Conor McGregor to Kimbo Slice, as well as mainstream TV, film and music stars including Norman Reedus, RZA and Anthony Bourdain. She has been producing the BE podcast network since 2017 and hosts four of its current shows.

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