Lopez Wins Lightweight Title at Madison Square Garden

Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

New York: Teofimo Lopez has quickly become a rising star in boxing and Saturday evening at Madison Square Garden the Honduran native who resides in Brooklyn won the IBF lightweight title.

Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) blitzed Richard Commey (29-3, 26 KOs) in two rounds. Lopez knocked Commey down with a right hand in the second round and followed up with a savage combination that forced referee David Fields to stop the fight.

Lopez made history in becoming the first boxer of Honduran descent to win a world title. He is now on track to challenge unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in a fight that would crown an undisputed champion in 2020.

“I’m at a loss for words right now. This is a dream come true,” Lopez said. “{Commey} is a bad man. His shot could’ve done the same to me if he hit me with that shot.

“You all know who I want to fight next. 2020 is going to be a big year. ‘The Takeover’ has arrived, and you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Said Lomachenko: “We want to ‘unificate’ all four titles. Now he’s a world champion and now he’s in position to fight me.”

Details for an eventual fight with Lomachenko will come in the months ahead. Madison Square Garden could be the venue or Las Vegas with a possible date in April.

Comment: Ring786@aol.com