Teofimo Lopez Returns August 13 With Plans to Take Over Junior Welterweight
Teofimo Lopez (16-1, 12KO) took over the lightweight division. Now campaigning at junior welterweight, it is time for Operation: Take Back!
Lopez, the former unified lightweight champion, will face Mexican veteran Pedro “Roca” Campa (34-1-1, 23KO) in the 10-round main event Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Resorts World Event Center at Resorts World Las Vegas. In the eight-round junior middleweight co-feature, rising Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas (13-0, 9KO) steps up in class against Elias “Latin Kid” Espadas (22-4, 15KO).
Lopez-Campa and Zayas-Espadas will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $40 go on sale Wednesday, July 13 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at ETix.com.
“Teofimo Lopez has a clean bill of health and is ready to make noise at 140 pounds. It all starts with a difficult test in Pedro Campa.
“Xander Zayas is a special young talent, and I expect him to put on another sensational performance. Top Rank looks forward to another fantastic night of boxing at Resorts World Las Vegas.”
Bob Arum – Top Rank Chairman
Teofimo Lopez
Lopez, a Brooklyn native who now resides in Las Vegas, makes his 2022 debut following a whirlwind past few years that saw him graduate from prospect to lightweight king. He became a viral sensation with a first-round, one-punch knockout over Mason Menard in December 2018. One year later, he captured the IBF world title with a second-round destruction over Richard Commey.
Lopez became the unified and lineal lightweight champion in October 2020 with a unanimous decision over pound-for-pound legend Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko. His lightweight reign came to a shocking end last November when George Kambosos Jr. climbed off the canvas to earn a split decision in what many experts called the “Upset of the Year”. Now at junior welterweight and fully recovered from assorted injuries, Lopez is set to conquer a second weight class.
“I’m thankful to be back August 13. I’ve been looking forward to this since my last fight. “I’ve had a lot of complications, but we’re looking towards the future and are on to bigger and better things. I’m here to take over the 140-pound division just like I did at 135.
“Like always, I’m going to bring excitement to the sport of boxing. The Takeover is still in full effect. You don’t want to miss it.”
Teofimo Lopez – Former Unified Lightweight Champion
Pedro Campa
Campa, fighting out of Hermosillo, Mexico, is unbeaten in eight fights since the lone loss on his ledger. He is conducting an eight-week camp in Southern California under the watchful eye of a new head trainer, Manny Robles, who led Oscar Valdez and Andy Ruiz (among many others) to world championship glory. Campa is coming off a third-round knockout over Carlos Sanchez Valadez, who entered the bout 22-0.
“I am excited and thankful to Top Rank and Teofimo Lopez for this opportunity. He is a tremendous fighter. I am coming to Resorts World Las Vegas ready to implement everything I have learned with my incredible trainer, Manny Robles. We’ve been in Southern California working hard and preparing for the best version of Teofimo Lopez.
“I believe I can be a force at 140 pounds, and it’s up to me to show that on August 13.”
Pedro Campa – Junior Welterweight Contender
Xander Zayas
Zayas, the 19-year-old phenom from San Juan, bolstered his status as one of boxing’s top prospects after going 6-0 in 2021. He knocked out durable veterans Larry Fryers and Dan Karpency and went the six-round distance against New Mexico native Jose Luis Sanchez. Zayas made his 2022 debut in March, going eight rounds for the first time with a shutout over Quincy LaVallais.
His scheduled June 11 return was scrapped after he contracted a non-COVID-related viral infection. Zayas is healthy and primed to fight Espadas (22-4, 15 KOs), a native of Yucatan, Mexico, who has never been knocked out. He has not lost since a close 2018 decision to Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring after what happened in June. That is all in the past, and I am 100 percent recovered. I want to thank all the fans for the support. That meant a lot and motivated me even more to train harder.
“On August 13, there will be a lot of fireworks between Puerto Rico and Mexico. You can count on that!”
Xander Zayas – Junior Middleweight Prospect
In undercard action, streaming live on ESPN+
Las Vegas-born junior lightweight contender Andres “Savage” Cortes (17-0, 10 KOs) steps up in an eight-round tilt against Abraham Montoya (20-3-1, 14 KOs). Cortes has won three straight fights by stoppage, including last August’s first-round blitzing of former world title challenger Genesis Servania. Montoya is coming off a razor-thin majority decision loss to top prospect Gabriel Flores Jr.
Featherweight U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (6-0, 1 KO), from Cincinnati, Ohio, returns in a six-rounder against fellow unbeaten D’Angelo Fuentes (7-0, 4 KOs).
Middleweight Troy Isley (6-0, 4 KOs), Ragan’s Olympic teammate from the Tokyo Games, will see action in a six-rounder against Victor Toney (6-1-1, 5 KOs). Isley knocked out Donte Stubbs in the sixth round in his last outing.
Lightweight prospect Charlie Sheehy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his second pro appearance at Resorts World Las Vegas in a four-rounder, while Puerto Rican junior welterweight standout Omar Rosario (7-0, 2 KOs) will fight in a six-rounder.
In a featherweight battle scheduled for eight rounds, veteran contender Jose Enrique Vivas (21-2, 11 KOs) will take on Edy Valencia (19-7-6, 7 KOs).
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