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          Teofimo Lopez outclasses Arnold Barboza Jr. to retain title

          • Andreas HaleMay 2, 2025, 07:58 PM ET
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              Andreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024.
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          NEW YORK -- When he's focused, few fighters can compete with Teofimo Lopez.

          The two-division world champion's brilliance materialized in the ring against previously unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. Lopez cruised to a unanimous decision to retain his WBO junior welterweight championship Friday in the unique setting of Times Square.

          Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) routinely beat Barboza to the punch, easily evaded his opponent's offense and was too skilled. The judges scored the bout 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110 for Lopez.

          Lopez, fighting out of Las Vegas, was coming off a unanimous decision win over Steve Claggett. But Lopez faced questions about reaching his full potential over his past few fights.

          He put those concerns to rest with a dominant performance against a slick boxer who had been undefeated.

          Barboza (32-1) entered the fight after an impressive split decision victory over Jack Catterall in February. After wanting to fight Lopez for years, Barboza finally got that opportunity, but quickly realized he wasn't ready for the challenge against "The Takeover."

          Lopez's physical advantages were on display early as he was elusive, slipping punches and frequently landing counters. Barboza worked hard to jab his way inside but couldn't keep pace with the supremely talented Lopez.

          As the rounds continued, Lopez found a rhythm, mixing some showboating with his pinpoint accuracy, while Barboza struggled to find his mark.

          With an accurate jab, a powerful counter right hand and sharp reflexes, Lopez was too much for his rival. By the late rounds, it was evident Barboza needed a knockout, but the California fighter's lack of power made that outcome highly unlikely.

          Lopez outworked Barboza, landing 127 of 574 punches. Barboza couldn't keep pace, with only 71 punches landed of 426 thrown.

          With the win, Lopez is looking for bigger obstacles and called out undefeated unified welterweight champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis.

          "You know me guys, I go after the tough challenges," Lopez said. "I want to see Boots. I'm Dora the Explorer and I'm looking for Boots."