Teofimo Lopez has decided to continue his boxing career and defend his recently won junior welterweight title, foregoing retirement after his second major victory.
Following his impressive performance against Josh Taylor, Lopez notified the WBO of his decision to retain the championship. Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, the president of the WBO, confirmed Lopez's choice through a Twitter announcement.
"The game is over @TeofimoLopez just informed me in writing that he will retain his @WorldBoxingOrg jr welterweight title," Valcarcel tweeted
Had the 25-year-old champion decided to vacate the title, the WBO had already planned a mandatory bout between former WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr. for the vacant 140-pound championship. Barboza, hailing from South El Monte, California, currently holds an undefeated record of 28 wins, including 10 knockouts, making him the top contender in the WBO's 140-pound division. Ramirez, with 28 wins (18 by knockout) and a single loss, is ranked second in the junior welterweight category.
Lopez, who was born in Brooklyn and holds a record of 19-1 with 13 knockouts, revived his career with a convincing victory over Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) in their 12-round clash for the WBO belt on June 10 at Madison Square Garden's The Theater after questioning his skills and passion for boxing following a not so impressive performance against Sandor Martin last year.
The identity of Lopez's next opponent remains uncertain. As the mandatory challenger for Taylor's title, the former unified lightweight champion may opt for an optional defense of his WBO belt later this year.
Beatrice Adamu is a writer for AceTVBoxing.com. She can be reached on Twitter @oh_stillbella or via email: adamubeatrice13@gmail.com.
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