Evander wrote: ↑18 Apr 2023, 00:15
This is a good match up, I'm surprised it's not drawing more attention.
Lopez went off the deep end since the Loma fight. This would've been a huge fight before the Catterall fight for Taylor and the Kambosos fight for Lopez. It's still a great fight, but just not a PPV-quality one anymore.
I know Lopez lost the Kam fight and rightly so.
But he should never have been in that ring that night.
He could’ve died.
Maybe he's at that age, that crossover you get wiser and mature one.
Teo has to pull his boxing together, I think a lot of people will be watching this fight.
It's a big opportunity for both.
Teofimo is back in the promised land with a win here, and he's lost in the wilderness with a loss. This a huge gamble for him, but you gotta admire him for going for it.
It'd be a huge marquee win for both. Both need the win obviously. Teo I feel, desperately needs it.
Press Release | Xander Zayas vs. Ronald Cruz To Have 'Miguel Cotto Award' at Stake
Junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs) will have an extra source of motivation for his upcoming fight.
The 20-year-old standout will fight Ronald “Diablo” Cruz (18-2-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday, June 10 for the second annual Miguel Cotto Award, which is presented by Top Rank and Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
The Miguel Cotto Award celebrates the remarkable career of the legendary four-division world champion and upholds the tradition of hosting a major fight card during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. Cotto, who achieved notable wins against Muhammad Abdullaev, Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Sergio Martinez and Daniel Geale during this festive weekend, will present the award at The Theater at Madison Square Garden following the June 10 bout.
Zayas-Cruz will be the co-feature to the junior welterweight showdown between WBO and Ring Magazine world champion Josh Taylor and former unified and lineal lightweight king Teofimo Lopez.
Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Cotto said, “For me, it’s a great honor and a great pleasure that Madison Square Garden and Top Rank have an award with my name to continue the tradition of fight cards during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. This award will motivate future generations to deliver their best in each fight.”
“Miguel Cotto has made an immeasurable mark on boxing at ‘The Mecca’ - Madison Square Garden,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, Marquee Events and Operations, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to celebrate Cotto’s warrior legacy during the Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend with the presentation of the second annual award to the winner of the Xander Zayas v. Ronald Cruz fight on Saturday, June 10.”
Zayas said, “I’ve always said that in the world of boxing, Miguel Cotto is my favorite fighter. He is the reason I decided to become a fighter. It’s a total honor and a dream come true to have the opportunity to fight for an award that has his name. This confirms for me that we are on the right path, and it motivates me to keep working hard to continue accomplishing my dreams. I want to unite my Island and all of the Puerto Ricans in the United States in the same way that Miguel did. That is my biggest dream, and I will achieve it.”
I'm Really hoping that this bout will go down as a Great Classic bout for Boxing fans to enjoy watching, For many years afterwards.
It may Really depend on the type of Ref though. If it's A Paranoia type of Lame-Ref, then unfortunately we may have A very premature stoppage.
I think that one or the other is going to have his way early on, but then the other guy will rally and likely prevail.
That is, if the Ref doesn't Wave it off first, before that can potentially occur.
I think that with the Right type of Ref, this will certainly be a Riveting bout, with a good bit of High Octane Drama, before it ends.
I can see Teofimo pressing the action early on, with Taylor focused on Counter-Punching.
However, it Could go the other way around. Teofimo Can Counter-Punch Pretty well himself, and he may just decide, for
Whatever reason, to prefer that approach versus the taller heavy handed Scotsman.
It Could go the distance as well of course, especially if both Boxers are too reluctant to over commit.
Alot of times you Do Need to approach the fight with Over-Commitment, if you are to put yourself in a position of
Getting the Ko or Tko.
Like I stated though, both Boxers may wind up being too respectful of each other to approach this specific bout in that specific manner of strategy/technique.
Evander wrote: ↑18 Apr 2023, 00:15
This is a good match up, I'm surprised it's not drawing more attention.
Lopez went off the deep end since the Loma fight. This would've been a huge fight before the Catterall fight for Taylor and the Kambosos fight for Lopez. It's still a great fight, but just not a PPV-quality one anymore.
I know Lopez lost the Kam fight and rightly so.
But he should never have been in that ring that night.
He could’ve died.
Wait, am I missing something here? What do you mean by that?
Lopez went off the deep end since the Loma fight. This would've been a huge fight before the Catterall fight for Taylor and the Kambosos fight for Lopez. It's still a great fight, but just not a PPV-quality one anymore.
I know Lopez lost the Kam fight and rightly so.
But he should never have been in that ring that night.
He could’ve died.
Wait, am I missing something here? What do you mean by that?
Teos mental issues are rooted. The kid clearly isn't where he should be mentally (and hasn't been post Loma) when fighting at the top level.
Between his dad and his toxic baby momma (the type of women who can ruin a man), I feel Teo needs to completely change his lifestyle to ever reach the heights he was once at.
That's not to say he can't muster something up to beat Taylor. I'm not super high on Taylor either and feel he's been a bit of a overachiever.
Teo lacks consistency and really believes his own hype and it has stunned his development as a person and a fighter. Add to that, the out of the ring distractions.
Speaking on his podcast, The Fight, Atlas believes the Lopez will come out on top against the ‘overestimated’ Taylor.
“The naturally, more talented guy, as far as pure, natural talent, that would be Teofimo. That doesn’t mean that he is going to win, that doesn’t mean that you are going to be the better guy, because that talent has to be properly developed.
Part of me wants to say Taylor, he is undefeated still, even though he might not deserve to be. But it is over here, it’s not across the pond where Taylor is from, it’s over here, I’m going to say Teofimo.
I think that Taylor is a little overestimated as a fighter, I think he is. But, you could also say the same thing about Teofimo with the way things have gone, that he is overestimated.”
Lot of pressure on Teo.
He's been talking it up.
I'm not sure about either of these boxers chins or susceptibility to sustain or prevent an attack.
Could go either way this one.
Both of these fellows seem to be Quite a bit Confident of Victory, based on the dual interview setting pressroom conference session that I recently watched.
Taylor pointed out that he wants to move up to 147 Very Soon. Obviously, he Has already stated this, as far back as a year or two ago.
I remember watching that one video where he was hanging out with Terrance Crawford, and mentioning about going up to 147. Crawford didn't take his time with giving/expressing his immediate thoughts pertaining to that premise.
I remember him straight out stating something along the lines of "I will beat the Crap out of you".
Taylor basically had no rebuttal/response to Crawford's rather blatantly Bold statement.
If Taylor IS in Fact, eventually going to 147, I think that he'll likely go against either Boots Ennis or Virgil Ortiz.
I think that Teofimo will likely go against either Haney or Prograis in the near future.
I'm basically almost completely at 50-50 pertaining to Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez.
I Very Very slightly favor Taylor but I won't be the least bit surprised if Lopez pulls off the win.
I wouldn't even be Shocked if he managed to score an early round Tko.
Taylor IS kind of a slow starter right..?!
This fight will be a one-sided beating in favor of Josh Taylor. In fact I think Teo's dad may be forced to throw in the towel. Teo is clearly in a bad mental state as it relates to boxing. I don't think he even "wants" to fight anymore. Josh Taylor had a poor outing against Catterall but he admitted to being unprepared. I think it was an aberration and the focused Josh is back now. I can't see this result any other than Taylor by KO.
DOUG FISCHER: TAYLOR PTS
“Fascinating matchup. Taylor’s a big junior welterweight with good reach but he often neglects his jab and doesn’t shy away from infighting. López is an explosive counterpuncher, so the defending champ may fall into the strengths of the former lightweight champ. However, Taylor is as tough and battle-tested as elite fighters come. I think his tenacity, confidence and versatility will tell over a hotly-contested 12 rounds. Josh Taylor by decision.”
ANSON WAINWRIGHT: TAYLOR TKO 9
“This fight has a ‘Loser Leaves Town’ feel to it. Taylor flattered to deceive against Jack Catterall over a year ago and hasn’t fought since, while Lopez has had two fights since losing his undisputed lightweight title to George Kambosos. Since moving up, Lopez hasn’t looked so dominant as he did at 135, notably struggling with Sandor Martin. This fight should bring out the best in both men, which would be a real treat for us watching. I get the feeling, in terms of talent, that Taylor is a very solid 8, while Lopez can be a 9, but is also a little erratic and can be a 7. In other words, if Lopez is the best version of himself, he can win. However he has a very unsettling emotional relationship with his father, which has come to the fore several times. I think that pressure derails Teofimo and takes his focus. That is part of the reason I think Taylor is of sound body (after a few injuries) and mind and will bring his best game and, I feel, begin to take over in the second half and breakdown Lopez in around eight or nine rounds.”
LEE GROVES: TAYLOR PTS
“Predicting this fight is next to impossible, given Taylor’s long layoff and weight-making issues of the past, combined with the strong connection between Lopez’s state of mind and his performances in the ring as well as his struggle to solve tricky southpaw Sandor Martin in his most recent outing. Given their modest work rates and their displays of power, this should be a tense contest with pockets of explosiveness. While it is true that the 32-year-old Taylor is seven years older, he has fought the better opposition at this weight and he showed against Ramirez he can fight effectively on the road and under the bright lights. Assuming both men are in prime condition, physically and mentally, I believe Taylor will smartly use his physical advantages and lefty stance to limit Lopez’s effectiveness and capture a victory on points.”
DIEGO MORILLA: TAYLOR UD
“A tough proposition for both men, indeed. Not exactly a crossroads bout but it certainly feels like both men have a lot to prove, which is surprising at this stage of their careers. Teo has one loss and Taylor should have one himself, in which case both of their records should be almost identical. Teo has a chance to make that a reality but he’s erratic and out of focus, even during his best fights, and Taylor almost never is. It’s a toss-up for me but I do see Taylor being more consistent and taking advantage of Teo’s mistakes to end up with a solid unanimous decision win.”
MARTY MULCAHEY: TAYLOR UD
“I was an early adopter of Josh Taylor and have yet to pick against him…but am having doubts for this matchup with Teofimo Lopez. Not on skillset or comparative resumes but the long layoff (last in the ring, February of 2022) concerns me. I am also in the minority of people who thought Taylor beat Jack Catterall. Despite my hesitation, I believe Taylor will find his way, working behind that accurate jab and intelligent counters, unsettling Teofimo after dropping the first two or three rounds. It should play out much like the Ramirez fight, where a knockdown permanently swings momentum in Taylor’s favor. Teofimo is the type to fight up or down to the level of opposition, so I don’t expect him to go meekly but do not see him reversing momentum late. I like Taylor to win a unanimous decision by two or three rounds.”
COYOTE DURAN: TAYLOR UD
“If there’s anything to hold against Josh Taylor’s chance of defeating Teofimo Lopez on Saturday night, it’s his inactivity since his split nod versus Jack Catterall nearly 16 months ago…but that’s it. If Taylor can shake off any (if any) ring rust he has and control the proceedings, he has every tool at his disposal to beat Lopez. Since his loss to George Kambosos Jr. Lopez has fought but twice at junior welterweight and eked out a split decision win in his previous bout, versus Sandor Martin six months ago. Not exactly a signature victory against a man whose claim to fame was beating a seemingly confused Mikey Garcia. And all the trash-talk in the world won’t win a fight. It never has. Trash-talk is only window dressing for those who actually have the skills to dominate and, if his own brand of mental insecurity is any indication, Lopez isn’t that guy, at least in this fight. I’ve got Taylor in this one, nine rounds to three, 117-111.
BOXING INSIDERS
DUKE MCKENZIE (FORMER THREE-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER/TV ANALYST): TAYLOR SD
“The loser of the fight between Taylor and Lopez has no place to go. Neither boxer has their performance leading into this fight. However, I feel there is something amiss in Lopez, who seems to be questioning himself as to whether he belongs at the elite level. Taylor has the naturally bigger frame. Lopez looks busy doing nothing and, for whatever reason, switches off psychologically. I believe, at this point in their respective careers, Taylor is stronger mentally and physically and should win this fight via split decision.”
SERGIO MORA (FORMER JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER/ COMMENTATOR): TAYLOR UD
“Great match up. I think Josh Taylor is the best 140-pound fighter in the world until someone proves otherwise. Taylor is a smart southpaw with a mean chip on his shoulder – the type of guy who will take it to another gear, physically and mentally, if and when needed. Teofimo has similar qualities and is probably the stronger fighter physically but this fight won’t get physical unless Taylor allows it. I like Taylor by convincing decision.”
REGIS PROGRAIS (WBC JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT TITLIST): TAYLOR UD
“I think Lopez is mentally weak. He asked after his last fight if he still has it. I think Taylor is going to capitalize on that. I think Taylor is mentally strong but I don’t know how much he has left in the tank; it seems like he’s fading. You hear a bunch of rumors about him in the UK and, as far as Lopez, Lopez does have the style to beat Taylor but I just don’t think he’s going to beat Taylor. I definitely feel like Taylor is going to win. I don’t even feel like it’s going to be close. For me, I think it’s going to lopsided for Taylor.”
TIM BRADLEY (FORMER THREE-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER/TV ANALYST): TAYLOR
“You’ve got two aggressive guys in the ring, who like to control the ring. I know Teo if definitely a gifted fighter; he has those fast twitch muscles, explosive power, but he hasn’t really shown that at junior welterweight. His gifts showed in the lightweight class but now he’s facing a guy that has been at junior welterweight his entire career, who has fought a boat load of top guys early in his career. Looking at his resume, [Viktor] Postol, [Ivan] Baranchyk, Miguel Vazquez, Ramirez, Prograis! It’s really hard to go against that type of pedigree, that type of experience, a guy that came here to the States. He’s been here before in hostile territory in Las Vegas with all of Ramirez’s fans in the area and took the title. He blows me away. Taylor is a phenomenal fighter. The inactivity is what’s bothering me in this fight. We haven’t seen him since Catterall. The injuries of Taylor are bothering me as well. But let’s say all things are good and he’s equal and fine. I just think, stylistically, Taylor. Teo has gotten away with his gifts, which is his unusual technique and strategy. He fights southpaws a little different from other people. I know ring rust could be apparent early but after four, he should be in his groove and he should be able to press the action and outwork him. Both these guys are not jabbers but Taylor pressures with more of volume; Teo pressures with technical aggression. You had a guy like Campa, a big guy at 140, who was able back up Teo, make him use his legs, pin him on the ropes. What do you think a guy that is bigger than you, taken punches from bigger punchers than you, what do you think he’s going to do? I think the aggression, work rate, pressure Taylor puts on Teo, he’s going to put him in the hot seat. Now if Teo can’t hurt Taylor, that’s going to be bad news for him. Taylor can punch, a ton of mental toughness, grit and skill on top of that and he’s a winner. Teo is inconsistent at 140 and we never know what his mental state is. I’ve always told him this: If you’re 100-percent, mentally, nobody can beat you. He’s that gifted but his last two appearances weren’t that great. I like Taylor. I think Taylor could get a stoppage.”
JOSE ZEPEDA (JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER): TAYLOR PTS
“Taylor wins, in my opinion, I believe Taylor will be too big for and too strong for Lopez. I think Taylor will bully Lopez for 12 rounds.”
TOM GRAY (FORMER MANAGING EDITOR FOR THE RING): TAYLOR TKO 9
“This is a difficult fight to call. Despite me picking Taylor to win inside the distance, I rate Lopez highly. I just question his mental stability and, against a truth machine like Taylor, that is going to be vital. The record shows that when Taylor is up for a fight, we see the very best of him. It seems like a long time ago but Josh snatched the unbeaten records of Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis, and Jose Ramirez en route to the undisputed championship at 140. Those results are outstanding. Ever since defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in New York, Lopez seems to have gone back a step. Even in fights he’s won, there seems to be a lack of drive and ambition. I think he has his moments against Taylor but I think the Scot is too big and tenacious for him.”
JOLENE MIZZONE (MANAGER): TAYLOR UD
“This is a great matchup, two young guys in their prime fighting each other. What more can you ask for? For Taylor to win the fight, he is going to need to take Teo’s heart away from the start of the fight. For Teo to win the fight, he is going to need to fight and keep his focus like he did with the Loma fight. Teo has dealt with a lot of adversity; the question now is that, behind him or not, if he is not fully focused, he is going to have a hard time with Taylor. As far as Taylor, he had fought on the road so I don’t see any issues with that at all. The question is, will he be able to handle all of the shit-talking outside the ring? I am going with Josh Taylor in this one, for the simple fact that I am not sure all of Teofimo’s demons are behind him. Taylor by unanimous decision.”
JOE ROTONDA (MATCHMAKER, MAIN EVENTS): TAYLOR UD
“This is an incredible fight. Josh Taylor has been on a ridiculous run, beating Regis Prograis, Jose Ramirez, Jack Catterall, etc. Teofimo Lopez, in my opinion, just has not looked like himself since the Lomachenko fight. However the kid is young, not even in his prime yet, and I think will get back to his dominant ways, at some point. But it will have to wait until after June 10th, I think Taylor fights smart and breaks him down en route to a unanimous decision.”
BOBBY BENTON (TRAINER): TAYLOR PTS
“Good fight; I can’t wait. I lean towards Taylor but I could see Lopez box him and pull off the upset. I think Taylor is mentally tougher than Lopez and wins a decision.”
STEVE FARHOOD (TV ANALYST): TAYLOR PTS
“The X-factor for me is Taylor’s 16-month layoff. Meanwhile Lopez has had a couple of fights to get accustomed to the 140-pound division. I see a close distance fight with Taylor edging Lopez on the cards.”
ALEX STEEDMAN (COMMENTATOR): TAYLOR PTS
“Two fighters with questions surrounding them for now. Is Josh Taylor still capable of his best at 140 pounds and, quite simply, how good is Teofimo Lopez? Taylor may have one last performance in him at this weight, if lessons have been learned from his last camp. And let’s not forget he’s returning from injury too. But it’s not so long ago the Scot was unifying the division and looking among the best in the sport. Meanwhile the stunning 2020 victory for Lopez over Lomachenko is looking more of an anomaly in his career than the launchpad it should’ve been. From the outside, his corner seems more of a hindrance than a help, at times, too. Lopez is the puncher here and wouldn’t be a surprise winner but I think Taylor has more tools, better variety and the mental toughness and attitude which can prove the difference. Taylor by decision.”
RUDY HERNANDEZ (TRAINER): TAYLOR PTS
“A good fight that is more interesting than Terence Crawford-Errol Spence! We’re about to get a pick ’em fight. Both talented and in their prime. I’m leaning towards Taylor in a very close fight. I believe Taylor scores the better shots and, at the end, the judges will lean towards Taylor’s work.”
JOHN SCULLY (TRAINER): TAYLOR PTS
“Good two-way action, at times, but I think Taylor gets the best of it overall. I think Taylor outboxes and outhustles Teo over 12 rounds.”
BOB SANTOS (MANAGER/ TRAINER): TAYLOR
“I definitely favor Josh Taylor in this fight. I think he’s going to cause a lot of problems for Lopez and he’s going to set a lot of traps for Lopez with the southpaw stance. Lopez may go into survival mode and look for one big shot because I think he’s gonna take a lot of punishment. I think Taylor wins on points.”
MARC RAMSAY (TRAINER): TAYLOR UD
“Excellent fight on paper, now remains to be seen if it will be as good in the ring. Both boxers come back from complicated fights but. from my point of view. Taylor offered more stable performances in his last couples of fights. For that reason, I advantage him, even if Lopez boxes at home. Taylor by unanimous decision.”
Rick Ramos Ring Magazine Coach of the Year 2019/21
"Great fight for both men. You can definitely expect fireworks! Josh Taylor should win this fight … however, Lopez could win if he is mentally focused.
"This is tough because we all know how talented Teofimo Lopez is. Heck, he beat Vasyl Lomachenko.
"We also know how chaotic his life is outside the ring.
"Josh Taylor is also talented. Was the Catterall fight an aberration? I think so.
"Back to that T word = talent. I believe Taylor is the better fighter. If he doesn't get caught, I see him winning the fight by decision."
Arijan Goricki Featherweight contender
"My prediction is that Taylor will get an SD (possibly a draw). I think that the judges would more like having Lopez as a winner and they will do everything to make that happen.
"I think that Taylor's pressure and work rate will be to much for Lopez."
Tim Rickson BBN Editor
"Taylor's last six opponents have a combined record of 133-0! That's so highly impressive and shows that he can allcomers. He is technically brilliant, varied, heavy-handed with almost a 70% KO ratio, and he has proven his toughness in his fight with Jack Catterall that he can take it as well as giving it out. He proved this in his barnstormer with Regis Prograis too.
"What I find fascinating with Taylor is that he can beat you in so many ways. Against Jose Carlos Ramirez, he broke his heart by beating him up close which is the way Ramirez wanted to fight. Josh gave him what he wanted and still dominated him to win.
"Lopez is a formidable fighter, aggressive and powerful. I do think that Lomachenko wasn't himself that night when Lopez defeated him, he didn't get started until the eighth round, but when you watch that last round, Lopez was incredible and landed about 50 punches on one of the greatest boxers in history, so full credit for that career-best win. He was unfortunate to clash with the best version of George Kambosos Jr and obviously get caught with that flash knockdown in the first. He rallied back but was ever so slightly edged.
"What I find fascinating is this pair's records on paper. Most had Catterall winning their February 2022 fight, so if the stars had aligned then this could have been a fight between two fighters with the exact same identical record at 18-1, 13KO. But, of course, Taylor was rather fortunate to remain unbeaten with a little help from some suspect judging.
"He looks as cool as a cucumber over in the States right now, laughing around while he's sightseeing and fulfilling media duties. I think that's one confident man who is ready to get back on top of the world and prove he's still the best 140lbs boxer on the planet. I am slightly expectant and hugely hopeful for a Josh Taylor masterclass where he shows his quality by completely outclassing Lopez to a unanimous decision win."
Aqib Tahlat BBN Writer
"This is a really good fight. Truly 50/50. A very close matchup, southpaw in josh Taylor vs the counter puncher Teofimo Lopez will make for a very fan friendly fight.
"I’m going to go Teofimo Lopez just on the pure fact of the power he carries, alongside the things josh Taylor does which will play into the hands of a counter puncher like Lopez.
"Teofimo Lopez beat Richard Commey and Lomachenko which are wins that you can’t achieve unless you’re a special fighter. I believe the best Teofimo Lopez can stop Josh Taylor on Saturday.
"Josh Taylor is the naturally bigger fighter and his undisputed run is the best in boxing but I do think he’s struggling at the weight and a fresh Teofimo Lopez can cause a lot of problems for him.
"Teofimo wins this if he’s mentally prepared for it.
AngryGoon38 wrote: ↑05 Jun 2023, 13:07
Both of these fellows seem to be Quite a bit Confident of Victory, based on the dual interview setting pressroom conference session that I recently watched.
Taylor pointed out that he wants to move up to 147 Very Soon. Obviously, he Has already stated this, as far back as a year or two ago.
I remember watching that one video where he was hanging out with Terrance Crawford, and mentioning about going up to 147. Crawford didn't take his time with giving/expressing his immediate thoughts pertaining to that premise.
I remember him straight out stating something along the lines of "I will beat the Crap out of you".
Taylor basically had no rebuttal/response to Crawford's rather blatantly Bold statement.
If Taylor IS in Fact, eventually going to 147, I think that he'll likely go against either Boots Ennis or Virgil Ortiz.
I think that Teofimo will likely go against either Haney or Prograis in the near future.
I'm basically almost completely at 50-50 pertaining to Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez.
I Very Very slightly favor Taylor but I won't be the least bit surprised if Lopez pulls off the win.
I wouldn't even be Shocked if he managed to score an early round Tko.
Taylor IS kind of a slow starter right..?!
Taylor had the chance to move up after the Catterall fight- like he said he was- it's been over a year now.
He hasn't probably because of guys like Ennis, Crawford or Ortiz. He definitely isn't giving Prograis or Catterall another look either.
