NEW YORK – Teofimo Lopez impressed Sandor Martin with how he dealt with Pedro Campa in Lopez’s debut on the junior welterweight restrict August 13.
Martin reminded Lopez on Thursday, although, that the previous light-weight champion will encounter a way more succesful 140-pound opponent Saturday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard. The 29-year-old Martin claims that certainly one of his benefits is that he has competed at or close to the junior welterweight most all through his 11-year, 42-fight skilled profession.
The Brooklyn-born Lopez will expertise that distinction, in accordance with Martin, after they meet in a 10-round WBC elimination match that ESPN will televise as the principle occasion of a four-fight broadcast (9 p.m. ET; 6 p.m. PT).
“He’s speaking about preventing Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor,” Martin advised BoxingScene.com via a translator, “however he doesn’t have the driving force’s license to be driving at 140 kilos. Issues are completely different right here. Fighters are stronger, they’re extra full, they’re quicker. He’s not prepared for that.”
The Spanish southpaw suspects he’ll look even higher when he opposes Lopez than when Martin upset Mikey Garcia in October 2021 as a result of he fought Garcia at a contracted catch weight of 144 kilos. Garcia (40-2, 30 KOs), a four-division champion from Moreno Valley, California, was at one level a 30-1 favourite versus Martin, but the massive underdog craftily out-boxed Garcia and received a 10-round majority determination at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California.
Las Vegas’ Lopez (17-1, 13 KOs) moved up from the light-weight most of 135 kilos to the junior welterweight division following his beautiful split-decision defeat to Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. (then 20-0) in November 2021 at Madison Sq. Backyard’s Hulu Theater. Lopez received all six rounds on every scorecard earlier than he dropped and stopped Mexico’s Campa (34-2-1, 23 KOs) within the seventh spherical August 13 at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Martin (40-2, 13 KOs) has received 11 fights in a row since Swedish southpaw Anthony Yigit (then 19-0-1) beat him by unanimous determination of their 12-rounder in September 2017 in Solna, Sweden.
The Lopez-Martin winner will develop into the WBC’s second obligatory challenger for Prograis’ tremendous light-weight title.
In accordance with the WBC’s guidelines associated to fights for vacant championships, the just lately topped Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) should make a compulsory protection in opposition to former WBC/WBO champ Jose Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) and, if he wins, meet one other obligation by boxing Lopez or Martin. Prograis knocked out Jose Zepeda (36-3, 28 KOs, 2 NC) within the eleventh spherical to win a vacant WBC belt November 26 at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
“After I fought Mikey Garcia, it was at a catch weight,” Martin mentioned. “I don’t actually like preventing in these kind of fights as a result of it’s not in my division. I really feel finest at 140. That’s the place I’ve fought and have had good outcomes all through my whole life. [Lopez is] not used to 140. Though he may assume so, boxing at 140 is completely different from 135 kilos. So sure, I believe that will probably be an necessary issue on this battle.”
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He may be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.