Teofimo Lopez dominated Pedro Campa in his super lightweight debut, but was it enough to anoint him as a top-5 super lightweight?
Former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez moved up a division and had his way with unheralded Pedro Campa. It was a strong performance for Lopez, but how much credit does he deserve after beating an opponent like Campa?
CampaĀ (34-2-1, 23 KOs) isnāt a name that will wow on Lopezās rĆ©sumĆ©, but heās a veteran with above-average punching power. Yes, Lopez was expected to wipe the floor with Campa, which he did, but he looked superb doing it.
LopezĀ (17-1, 13 KOs) has questions surrounding him due to his 2021 split decision loss to George Kambosos Jr. Before that, he beat Vasiliy Lomachenko, who most deem a legend, but Lopezās inconsistent performances have people questioning his greatness.
They shouldnāt.
Lopez is an elite boxing talent. One loss against a gifted boxer shouldnāt hurt Lopezās reputation too heavily. His contest with Kambosos was competitive, and he nearly captured the win after knocking Kmabosos down in round 10.
Throw in Lopezās unknown health issues going into that fight, along with problems in his personal life, and itās easy to see that he wasnāt at his best. Go deeper into Lopezās boxing history, and you will see heās a proven quantity.
With his win over Pedro Campa and an established rƩsumƩ, Teofimo Lopez is already one of the top super lightweights one fight in
The Lomacheko win is the brightest spot on Lopezās record, but his two-round destruction of Richard Commey deserves more praise than it receives. The same could be said of Lopezās decision overĀ Masayoshi Nakatani.
Lopez is 25 years old, and he has bested some incredible opposition. Campaās name ranks nowhere near them, but what Lopez did in the ring against him shows growth.
In his loss to Kambosos, Lopez landed 31 percent of his punches while getting hit by 24.6 percent of Kambososā, according to CompuBox. Lopez tried to run over Kambosos, which was problematic. He wasnāt patient and tried to fight at close range against an inside fighter.
Against Campa, Lopez chose his shots and looked for openings. Even though he was levels above Campa, he didnāt rush his work. He established the jab early, fought on the outside, and then broke Campa down as the rounds went by.
Lopez landed 42.4 percent of his punches against Campa, who only connected at 18.5 percent. It was a disciplined fight strategy for Lopez, who was more defensive-minded. Lopez looked better as the counterpuncher than the aggressor.
Lopez deserves added respect as the new super lightweight on the block because of his former champion status and previous accomplishments.
Looking at the entire division, as long as Josh Taylor is in the division, Taylor deserves to be number one despite his poor performance against Jack Catterall.
After Taylor, thereās a competitive field, but Lopez could easily be the second-best boxer in the division. Jose Ramirez is also up there, but I would place him behind Lopez. I believe Lopezās speed would allow him to out-point Ramirez.
Rounding out the next two spots would be Regis Prograis and Jose Zepeda, who should fight in the future for the WBC belt that Taylor relinquished. Thatās an excellent top five, but itās completely subjective.
Ryan Garcia is now campaigning at super lightweight, Arnold Barboza Jr. is undefeated, and Gary Antuanne Russell just destroyed Rances Barthelemy. Donāt forget about Jack Catterall, who took Josh Taylor to the brink.
Taylor could be leaving the division after a rematch with Catterall, which would mean the division is wide open. Thereās no clear favorite, and Lopez could beat any of the fighters mentioned.
Then again, they might be able to take him too. The super lightweight is looking for a frontrunner. Lopez looks like he could make a nice run there, but it will be interesting to see who separates themself from the pack.