TEOFIMO Lopez successfully defended his WBO super-lightweight title, beating Arnold Barboza Jr by unanimous decision in Times Square, New York.
Judges Max DeLuca and Eric Marlinski scored it 116-112, while David Sutherland could only find a couple of sessions for luckless Barboza, totalling 118-110.
Lopez said afterwards that he felt reborn and a conversation with his team might happen next regarding a move up in weight to chase Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. He went on to send out a message of “don’t quit” to anyone still watching.
Earlier in the ring, following a cagey opening round that saw both men looking to establish the jab, Lopez had the clear edge in handspeed. Barboza looked to get his own hands a little busier in the third. The jab was falling short, meaning the right hand that came behind also evaporated before reaching the target.
Barboza’s task became tougher the more Lopez’s confidence grew. A flashy Teofimo right in the fourth was accompanied by a little celebratory dance. Entering the sixth with a blemish on the cheeks, Lopez knew the onus was on his opponent to upset the rhythm of the fight. Barboza found his right hand at the close of that round.
The Barboza jab was getting busy, upstairs and downstairs, in round eight, but not much was landing. A penny for the thoughts of the three judges after the first two-thirds of the contest.
Round 10 saw Barboza’s urgency levels increase a notch as he continued to be snakecharmed by Lopez’s fizzing movement. This might not have been peak ‘Takeover’ mode, but it was a step above the laboured Lopez, who defeated Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett.
Arnold Barboza tried desperately to push the pace in the final two rounds. He was met by some tactical grabs and holds from Lopez, who drew the ire of imposing referee Eric Dali.
Ultimately, Lopez’s footwork, hand speed and sharper shots made the difference as he improved to 22-1 (13 KOs). Arnold Barboza Jr was unable to keep hold of his long-standing undefeated slate, sliding to 32-1 (11 KOs).
