The NAB champion Teofimo Lopez put up a powerful show on Saturday April 20, Top Rank boxing on ESPN pay-per-view at the Madison Square Garden in a supporting event to the Crawford-Khan main event.
Lopez 21, (13-0, 11KOs) pushed a left jab swerve and scored a one-punch, body-shot knockout of former two-time European champion Edis Tatli in the fifth round.
The fight started soon after the tales of the boxers were over and Lopez began earnestly in an aggressive fashion as he went after Tatli.
Tatli 32, (33-3, 10KOs) clearly showed his intentions of using his reach and height advantage but was zeroed in by Lopez and landed left and right jabs in quick succession in the face of Tatli.
The heat was on as Lopez kept the tempo of aggression high on Tatli forcing him to step back in circles round the ring with Lopez landing descent combinations of punches in the fourth round.
Lopez kept pressing forward in the fifth round, connected clean combination of punches as he followed Tatli to the ropes. The American prospect put forward a left jab swerve and planted a swift power straight right in the rib of Tatli. Tatli went down on one bended knee in pain and took the full count of referee Rom Lipton.
“I didn’t have the best camp, but I did what I needed to do and came out victorious,” said Lopez. “I knew I was going to get him with a body shot. I softened him up and finished him. The takeover is here, man.”
Lopez, who will return in July to the ring in probably a main event, has been calling out unified lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) for some time now and want Top Rank to make the match. But Lomachenko has said that he will fight Lopez only if that bout has a title to his credit. Lopez probably will have to win a world title first, which is exactly what he wants.
“I want a world title shot next. That’s what I want. We promised to take over the show, and once again, I took it over,” Lopez said. “I’m ready for [world titlist] Richard Commey or the [potentially vacant] WBC title. As long as it’s for a title, I am ready to go. No one can take my power.”
Lopez will be looking forward to getting that title shot as soon as possible as he complains of weight issues to move away from the 135lbs division.
“This weight is really annoying, you know my body is growing, I have been trying to hold it . Let’s see what happens. I’m looking at Commey and the WBC title in July. Whether Mikey or Luke Campbell I’m ready”. Lopez said.