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Teofimo Lopez Jr. dominates Steve Claggett to retain WBO/Ring junior welterweight titles

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by Joseph Santoliquito |

MIAMI, Fla. — The little engine in his head slowed down. Plus, Teofimo Lopez Jr. a few years ago he gave up trying to control his anxiety. It is more reflective. He is more relaxed. He learned to tame the dim fear that gathered outside and grew with each fight.

That couldn’t have been more evident than this week as he prepared to defend his WBO/Ring Magazine junior welterweight world title against Canadian Steve Claggett on Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida.

It took some time, but Lopez Jr. likes his bounce. His easygoing demeanor has translated to the ring.

One of boxing’s most extravagant showmen put on a show, starting with a walk around the ring and ending with a Michael Jackson dance, wearing a white jacket with gold trim.

Lopez (21-1, 13 knockouts) finished the fight via unanimous decision, winning 120-108 on the scorecards of judges Lisa Giampa and Efrain Lebron and 119-109 on the scorecards of judge Steve Weisfeld.

“I’m definitely thinking about getting promoted. My legs, my body need to move to 147. I want Terence Crawford. This is the goal. I don’t know, I don’t care who belts 147 pounds. I just want a guy with The Ring belt, and that’s Terence “Bud” Crawford.”

Lopez landed a career-high 315 punches, averaging a career-best 26 punches per round, and landed 946 punches total, a career-best 79 punches per round.

“I’m really relaxed, I like where I am, I’m getting older, my son is getting older and I have to show what it means to be a good man,” Lopez said. “Maybe it was as simple as it sounds. Claggett is a tough guy. I have a lot of respect for him. But at the end they told him he fought, and I got tired.

“I was actually there. We had a game plan and we stuck to it. The guy was tough. I was aiming for a tough competitor. I knew this guy would want to test my abilities. He touched me for the sake of touching me. I wasn’t afraid of him. If there is anything you must include, a quote from Muhammad Ali, the will must be stronger than the ability.

“I’m definitely thinking about promotion. My legs, my body needs to move, I’ll go to 147. I want Terence Crawford. That’s the goal. I don’t know, I don’t care who has the 147-pound belts. I just want a guy with The Ring belt, and that’s Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.”

From the start, Claggett (38-8-2, 26 KOs) kept the pressure on Lopez. He kept coming forward, throwing punches. He might not have much control over them, but the punches were constant. Lopez absorbed as much as he could with his shoulders and arms. The clumsy and stick-thin Claggett kept burrowing forward.

The question is whether he will be able to maintain that pace for 12 rounds.

In the second round, Claggett tried the same tactic, trying to choke Lopez. It seemed like he was hitting Lopez with a million pebbles — not just one. Lopez was falling back, luring Claggett forward. Lopez landed most of his shots in the second round, although Claggett’s efficiency seemed to decline slightly.

In the third round, Lopez hit Claggett with a left hook early in the round, then caught Claggett with a straight right moments later. Lopez’s punches came with a thud that could be heard at ringside.

Lopez appeared to wake up in the third round, which was his best round at the time.

Lopez punishes brave Steve Claggett with a right (Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

Lopez hit Claggett, who was looking down, with a left and then a right uppercut, knocking the Canadian’s head back.

In the fifth round, Claggett’s performance dropped significantly compared to the first four rounds. He continued to stalk Lopez, but didn’t punch his way through. Claggett seemed content to just touch Lopez at times, and his punches didn’t do much.

Using his left arm as a battering ram, Lopez ran straight into Claggett to start the seventh round. At this point, Claggett was throwing punches in succession, and Lopez was landing them with ease. He began to land punches on Claggett, and the tough Canadian could do little to stop him.

Claggett was brave. He kept moving forward, catching Lopez more than willing to sit on punches and engage. Lopez attacked Claggett with two rights to the jaw and then a right hook. Lopez made Claggett pay whenever he got close, especially with a steady diet of hooks.

In the ninth, Lopez continued his attack. He worked well on the levels, lashing Claggett’s flanks with right roundhouses and forcing his will behind the left shoulder.

Claggett performed purely out of courage.

But he was obviously getting a beating.

In the top ten it’s more or less the same. Lopez hits Claggett with uppercuts and Claggett takes them. Lopez ended the round with a violent attack that Claggett was unable to respond to.

In the final round, Claggett tried to come forward, though this time he was met by a hail of shots from Lopez. He was then peppered with shots to the body, then the left shoulder, then the right upper body.

Lopez finished the performance with a torrent of shots. When the final bell rang, both fighters embraced.

“I saw combinations from my son that I had never seen before,” said Teofimo Lopez Sr., Lopez Jr.’s father and trainer. “We knew we had to hit the body, and he kept coming. Claggett did an incredible job. He kept landing punches, but the frequency dropped because he had never dealt with anyone like my son.

“We are thinking about moving up to 147 pounds. We are still sturdy at 140, we made weight easily and he was sturdy at the end of the fight. But we want Terence Crawford. Facing Crawford will be a tough fight for him and I admit it will be a tough fight for us. I saw combinations today, but I never saw my throw. Crawford is a hazardous fight for him and for us.

“My son will be even stronger at 147. But we can stay at 140. If the fights are good, we can stay at 140. If we go to 147, we want to fight for titles, and these guys at 147 want to fight us. We got nothing from tonight. We expected to win, and we did.”

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Boxing

The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).

The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”

Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00

“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”

Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.

“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.

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George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.

Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.

The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.

Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.

The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.

“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.

“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.

“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”

Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.

“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].

Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.

“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.

Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.

“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.

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Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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Mike Tyson comeback black

One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.

WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.

Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.

“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.

“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.

“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.

He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”

Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.

Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.

Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.

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