Ranking the top 10 victories from Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez

Ranking the top 10 victories from Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez

Great Scot Josh Taylor (19-0, 13KO) defends his WBO and ring Magazine super-lightweight crowns to Brooklyn boxer and former lineal lightweigh king Teofimo Lopez this Saturday night in New York, live on Sky Sports.

GBN took a look at the 140lbs rivals' best wins so far in their soon-to-be 20-bout professional careers:

 

 

1. Lopez Won UD12 vs Vasiliy Lomachenko

Undoubtedly the highlight of Lopez’s career to date, this shock 2020 win against Lomachenko not only put his name on the map, but hinted at potential superstar status in the future. Aggressive from the off, he would not be denied that night in Las Vegas.

 

2. Taylor Won UD12 José Carlos Ramírez

After winning IBF and WBA belts at super-lightweight, Taylor ventured to Las Vegas in 2021 to steal Ramirez’s WBC and WBO belts. He pulled off the raid, too, dropping Ramirez in rounds six and seven before winning the fight via unanimous decision.

 

3. Taylor Won MD12 Regis Prograis

In what was a real thriller in 2019, Taylor and Prograis stood toe-to-toe for 12 rounds in London and refused to give an inch. This of course suited Taylor down to the ground and resulted in him adding Prograis’ WBA super-lightweight title to his IBF version.

 

4. Lopez Won TKO2 Richard Commey

In terms of displaying his raw power and aggression, it could be argued Lopez has never looked better than when he blitzed Ghana’s Commey in just two rounds back in 2019. That night, when very much on the rise, Lopez snatched the IBF lightweight title from his opponent within five minutes of action.

 

5. Taylor Won UD12 Ivan Baranchyk

When Taylor and Baranchyk clashed in Glasgow in 2019, it was, as expected, quite the war of attrition. However, after dropping the Russian twice in the sixth round, Taylor was eventually able to outlast him and triumph on points, winning the IBF super-lightweight title in the process.

 

6. Lopez Won KO7 Diego Magdaleno

A fight which captured Lopez at his relentless best, this seventh-round stoppage of Magdaleno in 2019 delivered him an array of regional titles. More importantly, though, it alerted the lightweight division to his undoubted potential.

 

7. Taylor UD12 Viktol Postol

During this, an early breakout win for Taylor in 2018, all the signs were there that the Scotsman would go on to have a fruitful career as a world champion. Postol, before arriving in Glasgow, had lost only to Terence Crawford.

 

8. Lopez Won KO5 Edis Tatli

Tatli, a solid and proven European lightweight champion, made his US debut against Lopez in 2019 and was duly overwhelmed inside five rounds. It marked the first time the man from Finland had been stopped.

 

9. Taylor Won SD12 Jack Catterall

This win, which Taylor secured in February 2022, would rank higher were it not for the controversy that surrounded it. Ultimately, few outside Taylor’s camp believed he deserved the nod over Catterall when they met in Glasgow last year.

 

10. Lopez Won SD10 Sandor Martin

Not too dissimilar to Taylor’s last fight, this December 2022 split-decision win over the capable Martin followed a performance well below Lopez’s usual standards. Some also felt he was lucky to have his hand raised at its conclusion.

 

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