The evening in Miami promised a great encounter in the ring and it did not disappoint. Teofimo Lopez won his fifth victory at 140 pounds and thus defended his WBO super lightweight world title for the second time.
The Honduran American (21-1-0, 13 KO’s) had to work hard to overcome by unanimous decision the tireless Canadian Steve Claggett (38-8-2, 26 KO’s) and retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super lightweight championship belt on Saturday in the main fight of a bill held on Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center in Miami Beach, Florida.
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The judges voted overwhelmingly in favor of the lineal champion 120-108, 119-109, 119-109, who won his second defense of the title he took from former undisputed champion Josh Taylor.
Lots of respect for Claggett
It was a good fight with lots of action from start to finish despite the judges’ scorecards. Claggett never stopped pressing and throwing punches, although Teofimo was able to outwork him with his upper strength and power.
“I knew exactly how this fight was going to go,” said Lopez. “He’s a great fighter and I wanted to fight, give a great show to the people who came here today.”
“He handled my power. He held everything I threw. I think it’s important for opponents to come to fight and take you to deep waters. My respects to Claggett, he’s a tough fighter,” added the 26-year-old fighter who at the end was honored when he was presented with the Key to the City of Miami.
This result, his fifth win since moving up to 140 pounds, will surely cement Lopez as ESPN’s top-ranked junior welterweight and likely keep him at No. 10 in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings.