In 48 skilled fights, Canada’s Steve Claggett has been stopped simply as soon as, within the last spherical of an eight-rounder again in 2011, when Wladimir Klitschko was heavyweight champion, Terence Crawford was a promising light-weight prospect and Teofimo Lopez was 13 years previous.
Lopez wasn’t capable of turn out to be the second man to cease the resilient man from Calgary, Alberta, on Saturday evening, however it wasn’t for lack of effort. The Brooklynite Lopez threw and landed profession highs, connecting with 282 of 619 energy punches as he rolled to a unanimous determination to retain his WBO junior welterweight title in an ESPN important occasion from Miami Seaside, Florida.
Claggett (38-8-2, 26 KOs) began properly, pushing Lopez throughout the ring and in opposition to the ropes with a stiff jab within the first spherical.
Within the second, Claggett maintained the stress, utilizing his jab to shut the hole on Lopez and work in shut, smothering and swarming Lopez. The belt holder was unconcerned, in search of alternatives to counter Claggett’s stress, however he was struggling to land something actually significant.
By the tip of the second, nevertheless, Lopez was starting to look comfy together with his footwork and angles, and was beginning to discover success touchdown between the challenger’s punches. That continued into the third, Lopez retreating and drawing Claggett onto his counters. Claggett was nonetheless doing good work, however it was already tough to see how he was going to journey his work charge and stress to victory as soon as Lopez was absolutely dialed in.
By the fourth spherical, Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) had discovered his consolation zone. He fired a handy guide a rough jab that repeatedly prevented Claggett from getting off together with his personal punches and likewise saved the Canadian on the excellent distance for Lopez to launch overhand rights and lead proper uppercuts, one in every of which stiffened Claggett noticeably.
Claggett, nevertheless, wouldn’t be denied, and in Rounds 5, 6 and seven, he saved grinding ahead and forcing Lopez to work, even because the titleholder’s heavier punches thudded into his head. An enormous counter uppercut knocked Claggett backward in Spherical 8, prompting Lopez to open up with mixtures, however the man from Alberta recovered his senses shortly and as soon as extra was chuntering ahead by spherical’s finish.
A rapid-fire three-punch mixture from Lopez discovered a house within the ninth, and though Claggett appeared to discover a second wind within the tenth, he nonetheless wasn’t capable of disrupt Lopez’s counterpunching rhythm. Equally, nevertheless, Lopez appeared by this stage more and more resigned to going the gap, as he targeted totally on conserving Claggett at vary relatively than absolutely committing to an try and knock his challenger out.
When the ultimate bell rang, the one suspense was whether or not Claggett would win any rounds; he received one, on one scorecard, as Lopez ran out a 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109 winner.
Whereas failing to cease Claggett is hardly a shame, the very fact stays that, after scoring 12 knockouts in his first 16 fights, all at light-weight, Lopez has only one in 5 at 140 kilos. Even so, he mentioned afterward that he’s aiming even greater.
“To be actual – I’m going to be frank with you guys – I really feel like with this weight minimize and all the things, my physique’s rising,” he advised ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna within the ring. “And though it don’t appear like I can deal with myself at 147 [pounds], I imagine I can. I really imagine I can, and I need these nice champions.”
