MIAMI, FL — The little engine within his head has slowed down. In addition to, Teofimo Lopez Jr. had given up making an attempt to catch his nervousness a number of years in the past. He’s extra reflective. He’s extra relaxed. He has realized to tame the darkish apprehension that may fold in on the outer reaches and crease its means in with every struggle.
That would not have been on extra show than this week, in preparation for his WBO/Ring Journal junior welterweight world championship title protection in opposition to Canadian Steve Claggett Saturday evening on the James L. Knight Heart in Miami, Florida.
It has taken time, however Lopez Jr. likes his reflection. His straightforward demeanor translated into the ring.
Certainly one of boxing’s most flamboyant showman placed on a present, ranging from his ring stroll, dancing to Michael Jackson’s Beat It, wearing a white tux jacket trimmed in gold.
Lopez (21-1, 13 knockouts) completed with a unanimous choice, profitable by a 120-108 shutout on the scorecards of judges Lisa Giampa and Efrain Lebron, and 119-109 by decide Steve Weisfeld.
“I’m completely pondering of shifting up. My legs, my physique has to maneuver up, shifting to 147. I need Terence Crawford. That’s the objective. I don’t know, I don’t care who has the 147-pound belts, All I need is the man with The Ring belt and that’s Terence ‘Bud Crawford.”
Lopez landed a career-high 315 punches, connecting on a career-best 26 punches per spherical, and threw a career-high 946 whole, averaging a career-best 79 punches per spherical.
“I’m actually relaxed, I do like the place I’m, I’m getting older, my son is getting older and I’ve to indicate what it means to be a stand-up man,” Lopez mentioned. “It could have been as straightforward because it seemed. Claggett is a troublesome man. I’ve a lot respect for him. However ultimately, they had been telling him that he had the struggle, and that I used to be getting drained.
“In actuality, I used to be there. We had a recreation plan and we stayed with it. The man was powerful. I used to be aiming for a troublesome fighter. I knew this man was going to check my limits. He touched me for the sake of touching me. I had no concern of him. If there may be something it’s important to embody, Muhammad Ali’s quote, the need needs to be stronger than the abilities.
“I’m completely pondering of shifting up. My legs, my physique has to maneuver up, shifting to 147. I need Terence Crawford. That’s the objective. I don’t know, I don’t care who has the 147-pound belts, All I need is the man with The Ring belt and that’s Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.”
From the outset, Claggett (38-8-2, 26 KOs) put stress on Lopez. He saved coming ahead, flicking out a jab. He could not have had a lot on them, however the punches had been fixed. Lopez absorbed as a lot as he may together with his shoulders and his arms. Awkward and hanger skinny, Claggett nonetheless burrowed ahead.
Whether or not he would have the ability to hold that type of tempo all through 12 rounds could be a query.
Within the second, Claggett tried the identical ways, trying to smother Lopez. He appeared to hitting Lopez with one million pebbles—not one rock. Lopez would backpedal, luring Claggett ahead. Lopez did the brunt of photographs within the second, although Claggett’s output appeared to drop barely.
Within the third, Lopez banged Claggett with a left hook early within the spherical, and some moments later, popped Claggett with a straight proper. Lopez’ punches arrived with a thud that could possibly be heard ringside.
Lopez appeared to get up within the third, which was his greatest spherical at that time.
Lopez punishes the brave Steve Claggett with a proper (Picture by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank)
Lopez banged Claggett, who was trying down, with a left after which proper uppercut, popping the Canadian’s head again.
By the fifth, Claggett’s output diminished significantly from the primary 4 rounds. He nonetheless stalked Lopez, however was not punching his means in. Claggett appeared content material on typically simply touching Lopez, with little behind his punches.
Utilizing his left shoulder as a battering ram, Lopez ran proper into Claggett to start the seventh. By then, Claggett was throwing one punch at a time, and Lopez was nailing at him with ease. He starting to tee off on Claggett, and the powerful Canadian may do little to maintain him away.
Claggett was brave. He saved coming ahead, pawing extra at Lopez than keen to take a seat down on his punches and commit. Lopez plowed Claggett with two rights to the jaw, after which a proper uppercut. Lopez was making Claggett pay each time he got here shut, particularly with a gentle eating regimen of uppercuts.
Within the ninth, Lopez continued his assault. He labored ranges effectively, whipping Claggett’s sides with looping rights, and imposing his will behind his left shoulder.
Claggett saved coming ahead strictly on braveness.
However he was clearly taking a pounding.
Within the tenth, it extra of the identical. Lopez slamming Claggett with uppercuts, and Claggett taking them. Lopez ended the spherical with a blistering flurry that Claggett couldn’t reply.
Within the ultimate spherical, Claggett tried, coming ahead, although this time he was greeted by a barrage of Lopez photographs. Then he was pelted with physique photographs, then a left shoulder, then a proper uppercut.
Lopez closed the present with a torrent of photographs. As the ultimate bell rang, the 2 fighters hugged.
“I noticed mixtures from my son that I by no means noticed earlier than,” mentioned Teofimo Lopez Sr., Lopez Jr.’s father and coach. “We knew we needed to go to the physique, and he saved coming. Claggett did a tremendous job. He saved throwing punches, however that price dropped, as a result of he by no means handled anybody like my son.
“We’re pondering of creating the transfer to 147. We’re nonetheless robust at 140, we made the load with out a downside, and he was robust late within the struggle. However we wish Terence Crawford. Dealing with Crawford will likely be a troublesome struggle for him, and I’ll admit will probably be a troublesome struggle for us. I noticed mixtures tonight I by no means noticed my throw. Crawford is a harmful struggle for him, and for us.
“My son will likely be even stronger at 147. However we will keep at 140. If the fights are good, we will keep at 140. If we transfer to 147, we wish to struggle for titles, and people guys at 147 will wish to struggle us. We bought nothing from tonight. We had been anticipated to win, and we received.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a Corridor of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Comply with @JSantoliquito
