Teofimo Lopez dazzles vs. Diego Magdaleno with another highlight-reel KO
FRISCO, Texas — Teofimo Lopez might be just 21 years old, but he’s already one hell of a fighter.
He tops himself each time out, even as the competition grows stiffer, with a bevy of highlight-reel knockouts. The latest: a seventh-round stoppage of Diego Magdaleno. Lopez laid an absolute beating on his toughest foe yet, showing off his vast array of skills.
With Magdaleno’s nose sliced wide open, Lopez shot punches from seemingly every angle, including a right uppercut that landed with precision. Magdaleno absorbed the beating and motioned to Lopez to come forward, which he happily obliged. Consecutive leaping left hooks — both punches fully loaded up on — sent Magdaleno crashing to the canvas in Round 7 as the referee finally halted the battering.
Lopez (12-0, 10 knockouts) punctuated the victory — his first time reaching the seventh round — with his trademark celebratory back somersault, a move that caught the ire of Madaleno’s brother, former titleholder Jessie.
“Teofimo Lopez, whether you hate him, whether you like him, you’re still going to watch him,” he said. ” … It’s nothing personal; it’s just business. We’re in the entertainment business. … People want to see highlights, people want to see KOs.”
Lopez believes he’s ready for a title shot now, and who can argue with him? He possesses blistering hand speed and the moxie to throw shots from anywhere. He’s interested in meeting Vasiliy Lomachenko at the end of the year, but he says he’s moving up to 140 pounds for his first fight of 2020.
“As the competition gets tougher, you will see more of that I can do,” Lopez said. “I dissected him like a surgeon.”
Mike Coppinger is the Senior Writer for RingTV.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger