In a whirlwind three months, Teofimo Lopez has journeyed from announcing his retirement to being reinstated as a champion and now, achieving the status of a “Super Champion”. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has conferred upon Lopez, the two-division, reigning lineal, and WBO junior welterweight champion, the esteemed “Super Champion” status. This decision was unanimous, with all 24 members of the committee voting in favor, following a request made by Top Rank on Lopez’s behalf.
Lopez's impressive track record played a significant role in this decision. He boasts victories over top fighters in two distinct weight divisions. Notably, he bested Vasilily Lomachenko in a championship unification bout in October 2020 and later, in June, overcame Josh Taylor, the then-undefeated lineal/WBO 140-pound champion. Furthermore, his amateur career, which includes 380 wins out of 452 fights and representing Honduras in the 2016 Rio Olympics, was also a factor. It’s worth noting that Lopez had previously held the WBO “Super Champion” status during his lightweight title reign.
The “Super Champion” designation comes with its perks. It offers flexibility in terms of mandatory title defenses, allowing champions to seek more legacy-defining bouts. Moreover, it provides an avenue for champions to request immediate mandatory challenger status in another weight division or even their current one, should they lose their WBO title.
This status could potentially pave the way for Lopez to target the WBO welterweight rankings as a mandatory challenger, should he decide to chase a championship in a third weight division. This strategy was previously employed by Oleksandr Usyk when he transitioned from cruiserweight to heavyweight, leading to his victory over Anthony Joshua in September 2021. While Lopez’s next steps remain uncertain, and there's no confirmation if he’ll even step into the ring in 2023, there's speculation about him headlining a December 9 event by Top Rank on ESPN at Madison Square Garden. This event traditionally follows the network's Heisman Trophy presentation, which celebrates the top college football player.
Image Credit: Sky Sports