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Teofimo Lopez is set to make his return to boxing on August 13 in Las Vegas. ‘The Takeover’ will be competing for the first time in the super lightweight division against Pedro Campa.
Lopez said:
"I am only 25 years old. My best years are in front of me. Pedro Campa is the start of a new chapter in my career. I will be a two-weight world champion very soon. Every contender and champion at junior welterweight better watch out, because I am coming to clean out the division."
Teofimo Lopez lost his last bout against George Kambosos Jr.. Lopez was dealing with a number of issues before the fight, not least of which was pneumomediastinum. Lopez had also suffered from COVID-19 in the build-up to the bout.
The fight with Kambosos Jr. was a split decision loss, but due to the issues facing Lopez, he was lucky that it wasn't an even worse outcome.
Before that bout, Lopez looked like boxing's next big star. ‘The Takeover’ previously beat the odds to dethrone Vasyl Lomachenko, who was rated by many outlets as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world at the time.
Lopez wasn't favored by many before the fight, but he and his father consistently talked about how they would beat Lomachenko — they did exactly that. In the process, the Brooklyn-native became the IBF, WBA ,and WBO world super lightweight champion.
Watch Lopez defeat Lomachenko below:
Teofimo Lopez will face Pedro Campa in his first fight at 140lbs
Teofimo Lopez also spoke about his next fight. Regarding Pedro Campa, he said:
"Pedro Campa is a tough opponent with an aggressive Mexican style, and I can't wait to put on a show for the fans... I am coming to regain what I’ve lost. One defeat does not define a fighter, and it won’t define me.”
Pedro Campa (34-1-1) has spent most of his career fighting out of his native Mexico. On paper, Campa has a good record, but Lopez will be the toughest fight in his career. If Lopez competes anywhere near the level he has shown before, he should be able to defeat Campa.
Lopez's last bout was the Kambosos defeat, and after that fight, he spent some time in the ICU unit. As such, it makes sense that his first fight is against a lesser opponent.
Watch Pedro Campa's last bout below:
Teofimo Lopez will be hoping to fight for a title at 140 pounds sooner, rather than later. Ryan Garcia, who also fought at 135 pounds, wants to move-up in weight, which could make for a great future bout in the near future.
