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VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez Dethrones Josh Taylor To Claim 140-Pound Title

The junior welterweight title fight has concluded.

Fernando Quiles Jr.

VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez Dethrones Josh Taylor To Claim 140-Pound Title
VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez Dethrones Josh Taylor To Claim 140-Pound Title /

Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez is now in the history books.

Taylor put the WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles at stake against Lopez. "The Takeover" is a former lightweight undisputed champion, and he was hoping to make a smooth transition to 140 pounds with a title win over "The Tartan Tornado."

The two collided inside Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was Taylor's first bout since relinquishing the WBA, WBC, and IBF gold for not facing mandatory challengers. He hadn't competed since his early 2022 split decision win over Jack Catterall.

WBO and The Ring Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez are separated before their title fight inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
(via Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing)

There was some bad blood going into this one. Lopez claimed that he planned to take his opponent's life on fight night, and even doubled down on the comment when asked about it. Taylor made it clear he wasn't amused by Lopez's comments, as the two had to be separated during the weigh-ins.

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Taylor moved forward at the midway point of the first round and landed some punches upstairs and to the body. Taylor was warned about pushing down on his opponent.

Things got rough the next couple of rounds with both men shoving each other to the ground. Those weren't ruled knockdowns, however. Lopez had some success and was able to get Taylor off balance at times.

In round six, Lopez went after Taylor near the end of the round. He appeared to be turning the tide at this point. At the end of the seventh round, Lopez landed a right hand and taunted his opponent after the bell.

Lopez lived up to his nickname, "The Takeover" as he dominated Taylor down the stretch. He even knocked Taylor back into the ropes. Ultimately, it was clear that Lopez had gotten the better of "The Tartan Tornado" and the judges agreed.

Lopez won the fight via unanimous decision and was awarded the WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles.

Here are video highlights of Teofimo Lopez's title win over Josh Taylor:

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Fernando Quiles Jr.
FERNANDO QUILES JR.

Fernando has over a decade of combat sports news writing experience. He currently covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Fernando joined MMA Knockout as the Lead Writer/Editor when it was founded in 2023.

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