In a boxing title showdown at one of the most iconic sports venues in the world, Madison Square Garden, Teófimo Lopez locks horns with Josh Taylor. In this bout, the WBO and The Ring light welterweight titles will be on the line as the two accomplished fighters square off in MSG. Lopez is currently 18-1 with his last loss coming in November 2021 to George Kambosos Jr. and is a former unified lightweight world champion. Opposing him is Taylor, who from May 2021 to May 2022, was recognized as the unified light-welterweight champion. The Scottish fighter is an undefeated competitor at 19-0 with 13 career knockouts.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter along with more notes and information about boxing bets.
An undefeated champion at 19-0, the Tartan Tornado is coming off a thrilling split-decision win over Jack Catterall in February of last year. In that bout, he retained the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring titles at the OVO Hydro arena in his bout against Catterall. That said, and per sources, even though Taylor was knocked down by Catterall in the eighth round of the fight, he was still awarded a highly controversial split decision victory. Moreover, some pundits thought that Catterall had actually outboxed Taylor during the course of the fight, but nonetheless, the Scottish fighter retained his titles.
Following his win against José Ramírez in May of 2021, Taylor became the second Scotsman to be an undisputed champion in the modern era. The last time he fought in New York City, he notched a corner retirement victory over Evincii Dixon in the second round of their bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. While ten of his last 11 fights have been off of U.S. soil, Taylor’s skills will travel well in this bout. However, there is still doubt about if he has ever faced an opponent the caliber of Lopez.
On the other side of the ring will be the rising star Lopez who, at only 25 years of age, has already been recognized as perhaps the best lightweight in the world. A former unified lightweight world champion, Lopez is attempting to become a two-division world champion in this bout against Taylor. While his last fight was a split-decision win over San Martin, Lopez is certainly one of the most exciting fighters in the sport using his quickness and speed to wear down opponents.
In the bout prior to Martin, Lopez was able to notch a TKO win over Pedro Campa, and in the process, win the vacant WBC-NABF and WBO International titles. This was actually another instance of Lopez moving up to the light welterweight division to challenge for a handful of titles. Moreover, this was a dominant performance for the 25-year-old as he was able to best Campa in all phases of the fight.
Prediction: This should be an excellent summer showdown, but Taylor has the edge here given his lengthier experience at this level of weight class.
After you are all squared away with the latest round of boxing wagers, make sure to tap into all the other fantastic resources that SBS has for you. If you need more information related to the sport at hand, the SBS boxing betting sites guide has your back when it comes to the latest betting markets on all kinds of title fights and beyond. On another note, if there is uncertainty around which deposit and withdrawal methods are the best fit for you, SBS is rolling out the options for you. This is where the SBS payment methods rundown comes into play as it showcases a variety of options from crypto to traditional payment methods. Finally, for those looking to get into some higher stakes wagering, the SBS VIP sports betting sites breakdown is a must-read. Here you can learn about the finer points of VIP sports wagering.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
Read Chris's ProfileAsk Chris about this guide:
