On Saturday, July 14, 2018, Teofimo Lopez stepped into the ring to take on skilled veteran, William Silva.
Silva’s lone loss was to Felix Verdejo, who at the time of their fight was one of boxings hottest young prospects.
Verdejo defeated Silva, by decision, but in the lead up to the fight Lopez made it clear that he is no Verdejo and that things would end early.
Boy, was Lopez right.
“My statement was I am not here to play games,” said Lopez after the fight. “Everything I say, I do. I talk the talk and I walk the walk.”
From the opening bell, the flashy Brooklyn native took the fight to Silva and dropped him with a hard combination toward the end of the first stanza.
Lopez used the next few rounds to show fans why he is considered by many to be the best Olympian of his class. Lopez showed off a stiff jab, lightning quick reflexes and the power to keep Silva fearing every feint.
By the end of Round 5, Silva had tasted the canvas twice and looked all but finished. Inexplicably, his corner and the referee saw it fit to give him one more chance.
But at the start of the sixth, Lopez sent Silva to the canvas for good to end the evening.
“It was a home run. Now it’s time to collect. It’s the beginning of #TheTakeover,” said Lopez who hopes to get a crack at a major title within a year.
Welcome to #TheTakeOver, brought to you by @TeofimoLopez. #PrograisVelasco pic.twitter.com/CXLr9slDMO
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 14, 2018
Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank
