![]() Romero's TKO win over Ismael Barroso in May was controversial, and the newly minted WBA titleholder didn't impress in the process. Matias will make the first defense of his IBF title later this year when he meets former champion Sergey Lipinets in what shapes up as a slugfest on paper. He's shown exceptional conditioning on his way up the ranks, routinely throwing upward of 100 punches per round late in fights, with plenty of sting on them. Matias is there to be hit, but opponents haven't been able to absorb his power and output. He's a violent puncher with power in both hands and always comes forward. The outing was the first of Prograis' three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, and Haney's father, Bill, was ringside in New Orleans to watch the fight.ĭevin Haney said weeks ago that he contacted Hearn to express interest in a fight for Prograis' WBC title in his 140-pound debut, a matchup that appears to be on the short list for the lightweight king.Ī volume-punching machine from Puerto Rico, Matias has quickly developed a reputation as one of the sport's best action fighters. The challenger was selective, as he jabbed from the outside, but he did appear to score a flash knockdown of Prograis in the closing moments of Round 1 that the referee missed and called a slip. "Rougarou" wasn't as explosive as usual - he did knock down his opponent in Round 3 - but Zorrilla didn't engage much, content to last the distance and play spoiler. Prograis settled for a split decision in the first defense of his second title reign, a victory over late-replacement Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday. ![]() If he fights on as expected, the natural matchup is against Haney, the undisputed lightweight champion coming off a razor-thin victory over Lomachenko in May. Lopez showed against Taylor that his power carried from lightweight to junior welterweight, which was a question mark following the controversial win over Sandor Martin in his second fight in the division in December.Īfter the Taylor fight, Lopez said he was retiring, but he's just 25, and this is boxing. before he pulled an upset himself with the showing against Taylor. ![]() Lopez then was upset by George Kambosos Jr. He struggled with Masayoshi Nakatani before he dethroned Vasiliy Lomachenko. Here's a look at the top 140-pound fighters and some interesting matchups between them.Īn exceptional talent, Lopez seems to fight up and down to the level of his competition. How does the division shape up following Lopez's victory, Taylor's departure to 147 pounds and Regis Prograis' lackluster win on Saturday? With four titleholders in the same weight class, there's plenty of talent to make it one of the best divisions in boxing. Ryan Garcia will now campaign at junior welterweight, too, one of many contenders pining for a shot at one the division's four titleholders. His victory injected some much-needed excitement into the deep division, and the impending arrival of lightweight king Devin Haney will add even more star power to 140 pounds. Sure, Lopez has claimed retirement, but he still holds the WBO title (he hasn't formally relinquished it) and is the man to beat at junior welterweight until further notice. Lopez didn't just outbox Taylor - he hurt him on several occasions and proved to be very strong on the inside against the bigger fighter. ![]() Lopez's first two bouts in his new division were disappointing (a TKO over Pedro Campa and a split decision against Sandor Martin, both in 2022), but he erased all doubts about his ability to compete at the elite level in a second division with the win over Taylor. announced his arrival at junior welterweight with a sensational performance on June 10, a decision over the previously undefeated Josh Taylor to capture the WBO belt and the lineal 140-pound championship. Junior welterweight: With Teofimo Lopez now champion, what's next for the 140-pound elite boxers?įormer unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |