WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez puts his belt on the line as a massive favorite against challenger Steve Claggett in a scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday, June 29 in Miami. One of the most exhilarating boxers in the sport, Lopez is a world champion in two different weight classes and ranked as the world’s best active junior welterweight by several outlets. After winning his first 10 professional fights, eight of them by stoppage, Lopez had a statement win in 2018 knocking out veteran Mason Menard in 44 seconds.
There really is no reason why Lopez should lose this fight since he’s dominated all but one opponent in his professional career with wins over quality fighters. I guess that’s why the early boxing betting odds have ‘The Takeover’ listed at -1000, which implies a 91 percent chance of winning. And with that Claggett is over there saying, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” The Canadian has plenty of experience inside the ring with 47 pro fights on his resume and he hasn’t lost a fight since 2001. Still, the challenger is listed at +585.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett Betting Odds
Teofimo Lopez -1000
Steve Claggett +585
The 12-round junior welterweight title fight between WBO and Ring Magazine champion Teofimo Lopez ( 20-1, 18 KOs ) and Steve Claggett ( 38-7-2, 26 KOs ) will take place on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Fla. The fight will air live on ESPN.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett Fight Preview
Like I said there’s no way Lopez should lose this fight. The tendency when taking on a fighter you should beat is to become over confident, which leads to bad training habits and not taking your opponent seriously. When a guy steps in the ring with a belt on the line he’s going to be ready. Lopez has all the accolades and he grew up in South Florida with that being enough motivation.
Lopez won the IBF lightweight title in spectacular fashion over Richard Commey in December 2019. Lopez wobbled the champ with a big right hand and finished him with a second round TKO. After the fight Lopez was joined in the ring by fellow lightweight champ Vasiliy Lomachenko in what was a preview of things to come. Nearly 10 months later Lopez and Lomachenko would hook up in a lightweight unification bout with the highly-regarded Ukrainian a big favorite.
Using his quickness to avoid his opponent’s heavy blows, Lopez consistently scored with his jab and appeared fine with taking the fight the distance. Withstanding a late push and showing endurance to go the distance against a rugged fighter, Lopez outpointed the champ claiming the WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight belts.
Another reason why I don’t think Lopez will get overconfident for this fight is the fact that his only loss came when he was a big favorite. Following numerous delays and a bout with COVID, Lopez had the first defense of his unified titles against undefeated contender George Kambosos Jr. In what could only be describe as a shocking upset, Lopez was handed a split decision setback. It was evident Lopez strayed from the style that allowed him to win his first 16 fights and he needed to return to that form for a move up in weight.
In his junior welterweight debut Lopez registered a seventh round TKO of Pedro Campa and followed with a split decision over European junior welterweight champ Sandor Martin setting up a title fight with Josh Taylor. Lopez became a two division champ with a unanimous decision over former undisputed champion Josh Taylor in 2023.
Bet Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett
Claggett has nothing to lose making him a dangerous opponent. And it’s not like he’s a stiff or anything. He hasn’t lost in eight fights since 2021 going 4-0 in 2023. Claggett does have a lot of mileage on him and he continues to book a lot of fights. Most boxers would be afraid to take on Lopez, but not Claggett. “I have worked my entire life for this opportunity and I intend to make the most of it. I’m more motivated than ever before,” he said. That sounds good and could make for a good Rocky moment, but the bottom line is that Lopez is the superior fighter and he knows what taking his opponent for granted can do. The astronomical outright odds on Lopez aren’t even worth it so try moving the odds in your favor with a specific win type and round. I can see the champ putting Claggett down early.
Boxing Odds Pick: Teofimo Lopez / KO
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