Teofimo Lopez on fighting for first world title in New York: It Matters!
Fight week is officially upon us, as most already know top pound-for-pound fighter and three division world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (35-0, 26KOs) returns on December 14 to make the third defense of his WBO welterweight title when he takes on Egidijus Kavaliauskas (21-0-1, 17KOs).
However, a fight that has piqued the interest of just about every hardcore fight fan is IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey (29-2, 26KOs) versus rising lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez (14-0, 11KOs) in the co-feature.
The card takes place at the original Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Brookly-native Lopez will have tons of pressure on him as he fights for his first world title. To make matters more difficult, he’s going up against the hard-hitting Ghanaian Commey.
Normally when you’re fighting for your first world title, you could care less where the fight takes place, you’re just happy to be in position to cash in on your lifelong dream of becoming a world champion. However, Lopez is different, he’s ecstatic about the opportunity.
He told Seconds Out the following on it mattering that he’s fighting for a world title in his hometown.
“Yeah everything over here, it matters bro. I mean if they were to say ‘hey Teofimo, when you’re 22 you’re going to win your first world title at Madison Square Garden’, I wouldn’t believe it.
You know the shits happening. You know what I mean though. It’s happening, that’s blessings on blessings. We have the opportunity and that’s what we’re doing.”
Fifteen fights in and Lopez has a chance to be crowned world champion at only 22 years old. Will the moment be too much for him, or will he rise to the occasion on December 14 in his hometown?
We’ll find out soon enough.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
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