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SportsTranscript
00:00 You're in the dressing room.
00:01 Protect yourselves at all times.
00:03 Touch gloves now men.
00:05 We're about to go.
00:06 God bless you both.
00:07 See if Fimo Lopez those eyes of
00:15 his have told us so much through
00:17 the years so many different
00:18 stories.
00:18 At one point sparkle and
00:21 excitement of a young rising
00:22 star.
00:23 Back then he was known as the
00:24 takeover.
00:25 And more recently the worry and
00:27 doubt of a former champ trying
00:29 to get to the top of the new
00:30 mountain.
00:30 And of course Josh Taylor
00:33 opposite him an incredibly
00:35 focused champion who's had
00:36 enough of the threatening talk
00:38 of Tia Fimo said I'm spitting my
00:39 punches tonight.
00:40 We'll see who ends up in the
00:42 back of an ambulance.
00:43 Here we go for the world title.
00:45 Taylor and Lopez Josh Taylor
00:47 trying to stay unbeaten and
00:49 retain his status as king in the
00:51 junior welterweights.
00:52 Dre what are you looking for
00:53 early.
00:54 I think Taylor needs to get off
00:56 to a good start to get the
00:58 pent off and to send a message
01:00 to T.O.
01:01 Try to start getting him behind
01:03 hitting him with those left
01:04 hands the straight ones the
01:06 overhand left.
01:07 So T.O. starts taking
01:08 unnecessary chances that
01:09 particular Lopez.
01:11 He's got a big boxing first and
01:13 let the power do what it
01:15 typically does.
01:16 You mentioned the layoff for
01:17 Josh Taylor something we will
01:18 look forward to see how he comes
01:20 out.
01:20 How he starts 16 months away
01:22 whether it was injuries or
01:23 scheduling conflicts and then
01:25 postponements and then
01:26 eventually just scrapping a plan
01:28 and then getting back to the
01:29 rematch with Caterham getting
01:30 right to Lopez the mandatory
01:32 challenger.
01:32 And you can notice the size
01:34 difference.
01:35 This is what everybody was
01:36 talking about all week long.
01:37 Yes they got on a scale at 140
01:38 but notice how much bigger
01:40 Taylor is tonight.
01:41 But it all evens out at the end
01:43 of the day.
01:43 Taylor's sticker might be
01:45 stronger we'll see.
01:46 But yes Taylor has the advantage
01:49 over Lopez.
02:05 He's going to throw a lot of
02:06 punches very explosive.
02:08 Who gets shot right there.
02:10 Look Taylor left hand comes in
02:13 from Taylor and then they
02:14 exchange on the inside once he
02:16 got that real estate.
02:17 And now Taylor comes in with
02:18 a two punch combination.
02:19 So good work halfway through
02:21 round number one for Josh
02:23 Taylor.
02:23 But that's the start that he
02:24 needs to have.
02:25 Quick right hand from Tia Fimo
02:27 can allow Tia Fimo.
02:29 Like I said he doesn't throw a
02:31 lot of punches start to get
02:32 comfortable start to line Josh
02:34 Taylor up trying to pop that
02:36 right hand off the hip.
02:37 Now he comes in with a two
02:38 punch combination short popping
02:41 left hand on the inside left
02:43 hook from Tia Fimo tried to
02:46 split the guard and goes
02:47 back in for the break.
02:48 And already a warning from
02:52 Michael Griffin about pushing
02:54 down when he's on the inside.
02:55 Counter from Taylor that just
03:07 grazed the body and the glove
03:08 of Tia Fimo Lopez trying to wrap
03:10 around with that left hand to
03:12 the body.
03:16 One of the biggest mistakes that
03:17 Tia Fimo Lopez makes is he only
03:19 throws a jab when he's trying to
03:21 come behind it with a big shot.
03:22 He's got a lot of dead spots
03:25 that he could pick up with a
03:27 left hand but he just doesn't
03:28 use it consistently.
03:29 There is a cut on the left side
03:31 it looks like just inside the
03:33 left side of the nose towards
03:34 the eye of Tia Fimo but it's not
03:37 at or above the eye so it should
03:38 not be a concern.
03:39 We will monitor that coming to
03:41 the end of round number one.
03:43 Taylor and Lopez.
03:44 And the game is on.
03:45 As Tia Fimo Lopez Drake just got
03:55 off the stool to start round
03:56 number two his father said just
03:57 figure him out.
03:58 He said I got him.
03:59 I got him in that first round.
04:02 Josh Taylor slightly got the
04:03 best of Tia Fimo Lopez landing
04:05 11 total punches 10 of which
04:07 were power punches and 11 to 8
04:09 overall connect advantage.
04:11 Lopez has to show that if he
04:13 can't get a step like we just
04:14 saw miss a few seconds ago that
04:16 he's got something else in his
04:18 bag and in his arsenal because
04:20 Taylor seems to be ready for
04:22 those big onslaught from Tia
04:23 Fimo Lopez.
04:24 Bernardo Tia Fimo Lopez is cut
04:26 man Rich Hill just told me it's
04:28 not a cut it's just an abrasion
04:29 on the top layer of the skin.
04:30 So nothing to be concerned with.
04:33 With sneaky left hook from
04:42 Lopez.
04:43 And a lot of speed.
04:44 And a lot of speed.
04:45 As Taylor came in.
04:47 Lopez has the speed advantage.
04:50 Watch those front feet of course
04:56 always with Southpaw versus
04:58 Orthodox fighters who can get
04:59 the edge to the outside
05:00 position.
05:01 Good shot right there from
05:07 Lopez.
05:07 Lopez caught him coming in that
05:08 time.
05:09 Taylor felt that for sure.
05:12 And.
05:12 He's got to be.
05:13 Close.
05:14 With both hands.
05:16 Nearly a clash of heads.
05:20 There's a body shot.
05:37 From Taylor.
05:38 Lopez.
05:41 And.
05:42 Taylor.
05:42 With the jab.
05:43 That's a good combination.
05:44 Taylor looking to deliver on the
05:47 inside left hook came in from
05:48 Lopez good exchange.
05:49 And then Taylor separates with
05:52 the jab that Southpaw jab.
05:53 Came wide with the left hand
05:55 that was a glancing blow didn't
05:57 hit flush.
05:57 And.
05:58 He's got a right.
05:58 No punches.
05:59 No.
06:00 No.
06:00 Not a lot of room for error from
06:15 either fighter early in this
06:16 fight test.
06:17 Both fighters throwing hard.
06:20 Shots.
06:21 That is.
06:22 If they land in the right spot
06:24 for either guy.
06:25 Will cause damage.
06:26 To the right.
06:27 To the right.
06:27 To the right.
06:28 To the right.
06:29 To the right.
06:29 To the right.
06:30 Right.
06:38 Lead from Lopez.
06:39 Tried to time that right hand as.
06:41 Taylor came forward back to the
06:43 jab for Lopez.
06:44 Left hand closes it out.
06:56 And.
06:56 It's a.
06:57 Right hand.
06:58 To the right.
06:59 To the right.
06:59 And.
07:00 It's a.
07:01 Right hand.
07:01 To the right.
07:02 It's a.
07:03 Right hand.
07:03 To the right.
07:04 It's a.
07:04 Right hand.
07:05 To the right.
07:05 It's a.
07:06 Right hand.
07:06 To the right.
07:06 It's a.
07:07 Right hand.
07:07 To the right.
07:08 It's a.
07:08 Right hand.
07:08 To the right.
07:08 It's a.
07:09 Right hand.
07:09 To the right.
07:09 It's a.
07:09 Right hand.
07:10 To the right.
07:10 It's a.
07:10 Right hand.
07:10 To the right.
07:10 It's a.
07:11 Right hand.
07:11 To the right.
07:11 It's a.
07:11 Right hand.
07:11 To the right.
07:12 It's a.
07:37 His eyes was on the-- was on the target,
07:39 and he just turned the shot over.
07:40 He landed a good one.
07:42 [whistle blows]
07:44 - Take it down.
07:51 [bell dings]
07:55 [crowd shouting]
07:58 - Straight left hand from Josh Taylor to open up O,
08:13 and as Lopez was seated nearly on that white rope
08:17 and Griffin was coming in for the break,
08:18 a punch was thrown.
08:20 - Can you hear my voice?
08:21 Stop!
08:23 You can't punch him outside the rope.
08:25 - This was a concern for Team Lopez.
08:28 - Go, go.
08:30 - Oh, and he said, "Hey, touch him up.
08:33 I'm gonna throw that southpaw jab while I'm doing it."
08:37 Remember, protect yourself at all times.
08:39 Right uppercut throws Tiafema off balance.
08:49 That's a slip.
08:51 So he threw the right uppercut and slipped.
08:56 - That's what Josh Taylor needs to continue to do,
08:58 is feint as often as he can
09:02 to get Lopez out of position
09:04 just enough to land his own shots.
09:06 He can't pose and then leap in
09:08 because Lopez will counter.
09:11 [whistle blows]
09:14 - The counter left hook in round number two
09:17 that got Taylor's attention.
09:18 There's a straight right-- straight left hand
09:20 from the southpaw world champion.
09:22 On the inside, tried to go underneath with the uppercut.
09:24 Once again, the warning from Griffin
09:31 about pulling down the head.
09:32 - Okay, the refees gotta really watch that
09:33 because if you got a guy like Lopez
09:34 that ducks down and comes up with punches,
09:37 I'm not gonna sit there and wait for him to do it.
09:39 - That's correct. In that instance, unlike others,
09:42 some of that is on the fault of Lopez
09:43 for ducking under on the way inside.
09:45 - If you duck your head, I'm gonna press down on you
09:47 and make the referee do his job.
09:48 This isn't amateur boxing.
09:50 - Two punch combination from Teofimo.
09:52 Again, the blood that you see is just an abrasion, not a cut.
09:57 - Body shots will let me know that Taylor's
10:00 not just focused on the head, but also the body.
10:03 Lopez seems to be focused just on the head at the moment.
10:07 - Taylor, 48% to the body right now.
10:18 - Taylor needs to take advantage
10:20 after every time Lopez leaps in and he makes contact,
10:24 he needs to answer Teofimo or Lopez
10:26 because Lopez wants to rest.
10:28 Taylor can't allow him to do that.
10:29 - Left hand comes in again from Taylor.
10:36 At times, smothering on the inside against the smaller man.
10:42 Left uppercut from Teofimo.
10:46 - Right hand, right hand.
10:48 - Pawn with the jab, came with a straight right.
10:55 - Straight right to the body never feels good.
11:00 [bell dings]
11:08 - And--
11:09 - Up catch from Gordon.
11:11 That's some NBA power right there.
11:15 - NBA title.
11:16 - The NBA Finals, game five, Monday on ABC.
11:20 - Vision works, see the difference.
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11:50 [indistinct chatter]
11:52 - Remember that incident that happened against the Ropes
11:59 when Lopez was halfway out of the ring
12:02 and a punch was thrown before Michael Griffin,
12:04 the referee, got fully in, and then the champ said,
12:06 "Oh, yeah, we'll touch him up, and I'll throw a jab
12:08 when you do that."
12:09 - It's not Taylor's job to referee this fight
12:12 and say, "Oh, Lopez, you're out of position."
12:15 His job is to protect himself at all times
12:17 and to fight until the referee tells him otherwise.
12:20 - Our referee once again is Canada's Michael Griffin,
12:22 lives in Montreal.
12:24 He has been the referee for numerous big, high-stakes fights.
12:28 - He didn't like the position that Lopez was in.
12:32 He should have got in there,
12:34 in between the two fighters, to make it clear.
12:36 [indistinct chatter]
12:38 - Taylor targeting that left hand.
12:46 Oh, and a big shot comes in,
12:48 and he does it off that rear foot,
12:49 almost that rear hook by Taylor.
12:51 Bernardo, what can you tell us in the corner?
12:53 What are they saying?
12:54 - Don't let him push his head down.
12:55 Don't let him push his head down.
12:57 He can't hold his head down.
12:58 Go, Bucks.
13:00 - Gil Fimos' father told me, "This is a smart gorilla
13:04 that was telling you about--"
13:06 - As we get another push here.
13:07 And on the other side,
13:09 Joe McNally was telling me,
13:11 "I need more feints from Josh,
13:13 and I need him to be more active."
13:15 - Joe McNally is in the corner of Josh Taylor.
13:17 He's a new trainer.
13:18 He was previously trained by Ben Davidson,
13:21 but McNally gets the assignment for this fight.
13:25 - Right! No punches!
13:26 - The trainer for Taylor told him, "Right.
13:28 You need more feints."
13:29 Why is that important?
13:30 Because it freezes Lopez, who's a big puncher.
13:33 It keeps him off balance,
13:34 and it allows you to land your shots.
13:37 He also doesn't need to get caught up in the power game.
13:40 Let Lopez do that.
13:41 Let your shots go.
13:43 Build up points if you're Taylor.
13:45 - Teo trying to time that uppercut.
13:48 Taylor having some effective moments just before that.
13:54 A lot of tension here at MSG.
14:01 - Of course, Josh Taylor went on such a streak,
14:03 such a run to become an undisputed champion.
14:06 Had that signature win against Regis Progray,
14:09 who now is a belt holder himself at 140 pounds,
14:13 and Progray is watching this fight
14:15 and has chimed in on Twitter
14:17 and noting the fact that Taylor is off to a good start.
14:21 - Good boxing from Lopez in the second half of this round.
14:28 I think that's what he needs to do as well
14:30 to get his head in the game and stop standing in place.
14:33 Just looking for one shot.
14:34 Use your natural ability.
14:35 He's a good boxer.
14:37 He just doesn't always show it.
14:40 - That was a point of emphasis yesterday
14:42 when we met with him.
14:46 Teofimo comes in, two-punch combination.
14:49 - He's had great success on the back half of this round,
14:51 that he's moving, giving angles,
14:53 and showing different looks.
14:55 We're talking about Lopez.
14:56 - The speed and athleticism that he possesses,
14:58 he's got to be able to do that.
15:00 - Trying to create a little bit of separation.
15:02 Taylor comes right back in with a three-punch combination.
15:05 Sent off balance that time.
15:06 Wasn't a clean punch that landed,
15:08 but this is the kind of excitement and energy
15:10 that Lopez can bring about
15:12 as he jumps on him at the end of round four.
15:16 Trainer tracks are brought to you by Corvo.
15:24 [cheers and applause]
15:28 - Listen, don't lower yourself.
15:30 Don't lower yourself to just keep going, okay?
15:33 You're letting him catch up, you're not even touching him.
15:35 You're touching him, you're slowing the pace down.
15:37 Get your hands out.
15:39 Get your hands out.
15:41 Get your hands out of the knee.
15:42 He's coming out a bit tall.
15:43 Once you come out small, slide to the right.
15:46 But listen to me, you're not going enough.
15:48 There, okay?
15:49 He's going as soon as--
15:50 and then you're allowing him to rest,
15:52 and then hold him off and touch him.
15:53 He throws the singles.
15:54 Nice, push out.
15:55 Push, slide in again and cool.
15:57 I want a bit more of that synergy up here.
15:59 I know you're not like that in the first round, okay?
16:02 Everything that's coming is to get--
16:04 - Wait, stay there, stay there. Don't move.
16:06 - Good exchanges from both guys this last round,
16:09 and really throughout the fight.
16:10 You see right here, that was a punch
16:12 and Taylor's foot was caught on Lopez's foot.
16:18 But a good finish to the last round.
16:22 - Beginning of round number five,
16:23 Teofimo Lopez has a 46 to 37
16:26 connect advantage over the champion.
16:28 He's thrown 159 total punches.
16:31 - No, no, no, no. Step back.
16:33 Good, thank you, good.
16:34 Watch.
16:36 - Left hand comes in from Taylor.
16:39 Punches last round, Lopez with a 17 to 8
16:42 connect advantage.
16:52 - Break! No punches, no punches.
16:54 No punches. Step back.
16:56 - You gotta believe that
17:00 Taylor's knocking off some ring rust.
17:03 I believe it's been about 16 months
17:04 since he's last been in the ring.
17:06 - That's right.
17:07 - But problem is, is Lopez
17:09 is not gonna wait around and let him do it.
17:11 - And that's the work rate, and there's a left uppercut
17:13 that comes in from Teofimo.
17:15 - He's also the younger fighter, Lopez.
17:21 25 years old to the 32-year-old Taylor.
17:25 And you can hear the crowd, the support here.
17:28 The Brooklyn fighter fighting at MSG
17:33 where he has wowed the crowd before,
17:36 where he's also had a lot of drama.
17:39 - Good body shot from Lopez,
17:40 good right counter from Taylor.
17:43 One to the head and one to the body.
17:46 - Ooh, left hand from Taylor.
17:48 You can hear that.
17:51 - And now Teofimo.
17:53 - Short left hand when he had Teofimo
18:03 up against the ropes as well.
18:06 - Come on, come on.
18:08 - Come on, come on.
18:10 - Right hand, Lopez, with a viper strike.
18:30 - Not surprised.
18:31 Taylor went right in front of Lopez,
18:33 and he posed, and Lopez took advantage.
18:36 - A short right hand on the inside as well there
18:39 as Taylor tries to smother him in that neutral corner.
18:42 - Lopez is a smart fighter.
18:45 Don't talk about his IQ enough.
18:48 Taylor cannot be that simple in front of a guy like this.
18:53 - Oh, God!
18:55 [indistinct shouting]
18:58 - Good work there as well,
19:13 and then tried to dig underneath with the right hand
19:15 to the bell they go.
19:17 - The team's up in their game.
19:19 Break it down, Candace.
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19:33 - Oh, that reminds me.
19:36 You coming to my after party?
19:37 Wouldn't miss it.
19:38 Want me to bring limes?
19:40 That'd be so helpful, Steven.
19:42 - Pueblo Tradicional Cristalino.
19:46 - That's a good move. - Has a match.
19:48 - Lila is our messenger pigeon.
19:50 - This is crazy. - You know what else is crazy?
19:52 That SMS text you're about to send.
19:54 It's wide open.
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20:17 [bell dings]
20:18 - GFMO Lopez with a 59-45 connect advantage
20:21 as we start round number six.
20:23 Max and Mark, how do you have it?
20:24 - I got Lopez three rounds to two.
20:26 I gave Taylor the first and the third,
20:28 and Lopez the second, fourth, and fifth.
20:31 Taylor landed the best two shots in the fifth.
20:33 Lopez did most of the best work.
20:35 - I got Lopez up by a round.
20:37 You're seeing why Taylor's a spiteful fighter,
20:40 and you're also seeing Tiafemo's plenty strong enough
20:43 to hang in at 140.
20:45 - And I will add that most of the ringside observers
20:48 that we are chatting with here ringside
20:50 see it very similarly,
20:52 with an edge early on to Tiafemo Lopez.
20:54 Round number six.
20:57 Right hand to the body from Lopez
20:59 as Taylor tried to come back with that right hook.
21:02 [crowd shouting]
21:05 - Taylor better stop walking to Lopez
21:07 and then freezing right in front of him.
21:10 [crowd shouting]
21:12 Lopez is watching that,
21:14 and he's got the kind of power
21:17 to turn your lights out.
21:19 - Yeah, you can see him waiting on that right hand.
21:21 [crowd shouting]
21:23 - Taylor started off very good
21:25 with his feints and his creativity,
21:27 and now he's starting to go to sleep mentally.
21:29 He can't afford to do that.
21:31 [crowd shouting]
21:34 - One, two, three.
21:36 [crowd shouting]
21:39 - The left hand as he cornered Tiafemo that time.
21:43 You see the past few rounds for Lopez
21:45 as he's been more productive.
21:47 - Taylor's landed flush
21:50 on the chin of Lopez multiple times,
21:52 and he's taken it well thus far.
21:54 [crowd shouting]
21:57 - And I can say the same about Taylor
21:59 from the punches of Lopez.
22:01 [crowd chanting]
22:05 - The T.O. chant has gone up here at MSG.
22:09 [crowd chanting]
22:12 [crowd shouting]
22:15 [crowd chanting]
22:18 [crowd shouting]
22:21 - Break, break the door!
22:23 - Don't touch him. Step back.
22:25 [crowd shouting]
22:28 [crowd shouting]
22:31 - Lopez has the kind of explosiveness
22:33 and the kind of power that even when you block it,
22:35 you know, "I don't want to get hit with that clean."
22:37 He can make you keep your hands at home
22:39 and make you hesitant when you don't want to throw.
22:42 We saw that in the first half of the fight
22:44 with Lopez and Lomachenko.
22:46 [crowd shouting]
22:49 - There's a shot that straight low,
22:52 so Josh Taylor is going to have to
22:54 get a shot at it.
22:56 So Josh Taylor has given the time.
22:59 [crowd shouting]
23:01 - Time in! Folks, guys.
23:03 [crowd shouting]
23:06 [crowd shouting]
23:09 [crowd shouting]
23:12 - Quick, sharp reaction from Tiafemo.
23:15 The left hand that came in in this round.
23:17 Looks like there's a cut around the right eye
23:20 of Tiafemo.
23:22 [crowd shouting]
23:26 And he hears the clap and hits the offense.
23:30 [bell ringing]
23:32 [crowd shouting]
23:35 As we start round seven, Tiafemo Lopez Drake
23:38 got off the stool early
23:40 and started high-stepping around the ring,
23:42 showing a bounce in his step.
23:45 As he tries to pull the upset here
23:47 and reclaim his status as a world champion,
23:50 trying to become a two-division world champion.
23:53 - He should feel good, Tess,
23:54 because he got good momentum
23:56 going into the back half of this fight
23:58 and in the seventh round.
24:00 And thus far, Taylor's had moments,
24:02 but he's having fewer and fewer moments
24:04 as the fight progresses.
24:07 - A 16-month layoff.
24:10 Those power punches landed.
24:12 See the high marks in round four
24:14 and round five for Lopez.
24:16 - Gotta believe that down the stretch
24:18 that the fight remains the same.
24:20 - And you can see the activity of Lopez
24:23 being consistent in fighting,
24:25 being the younger guy that has to favor him.
24:27 Ooh, good shot right there on the way out the door
24:29 for Lopez, as opposed to Taylor,
24:31 who's older and who's been off,
24:33 and he's coming off with an injury.
24:35 [crowd shouting]
24:38 Not seeing that fire from Taylor
24:42 that we saw in the first two rounds, three rounds.
24:44 I'm not sure what that is,
24:46 but it has to do a lot with the guy that's in front of him,
24:49 and that's what's going on.
24:50 [crowd shouting]
24:53 - Good shot with the right hand in between punches
25:06 from Tiafemo. - That hurt Taylor.
25:09 Backed him up, and it buzzed him.
25:12 [whistle blows]
25:14 - Trying to land that off-balance left hand was Taylor,
25:16 but a good moment halfway through round number seven
25:18 and Taylor is not-- is not bothering Lopez at all.
25:22 [crowd shouting]
25:25 - Now Taylor swarming in.
25:28 - And the free-load goes on, Samuel!
25:30 - Fight!
25:32 - Come on, don't push him.
25:34 [crowd shouting]
25:37 - If Taylor's not gonna punch with both hands
25:46 and do it with a conviction,
25:48 he's gonna allow Lopez to get leverage
25:50 by having his back to the ropes
25:52 because he's generating power
25:54 and he's starting to counter Taylor like that.
25:56 Taylor is falling asleep mentally.
25:58 He's not making good decisions
26:00 with a guy with this kind of power.
26:02 [crowd shouting]
26:04 He's gotta remain creative, he's gotta remain alert,
26:07 and he's gotta stay on point at all times.
26:10 [crowd shouting]
26:13 'Cause Lopez is looking for the shot.
26:15 - And you can see how Regis Progray has changed his tune
26:18 in this fight.
26:20 The other 140-pound champion saying,
26:22 "Tio's starting to warm up more."
26:24 That happened many rounds ago
26:26 where he started to take an edge in this fight.
26:29 [crowd shouting]
26:32 And now standing toe-to-toe on the inside
26:35 and a right-hand lands, and look at the confidence
26:37 from Tio Fimo.
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27:24 - ♪ Torch in his gold boots ♪
27:26 ♪ I go against two hands, son ♪
27:28 [whistle blows]
27:29 - See the instructions to Josh Taylor
27:31 as he gets ready for round eight.
27:33 Here's the right hand moments ago, Dre.
27:35 - It's the shot for Taylor. It's the money shot.
27:37 If he doesn't lead with the left, he's going for that right hand.
27:40 And it's right down the middle.
27:42 It's the perfect shot to land against a southpaw
27:45 and a southpaw who's falling asleep mentally.
27:48 Good shot right there from Taylor.
27:50 - Josh Taylor has not had double-digit connects in a round
27:53 since round number two.
27:55 Meanwhile, steady, efficient, productive work
27:58 from Teofimo Lopez, who has overall an 82-58 connect advantage,
28:02 according to CompuBox.
28:04 Round number eight. Remember, all the late money,
28:07 all the late surge was on the champion, Josh Taylor.
28:10 Teofimo Lopez came into this fight as a significant underdog,
28:14 much the way he did a few years ago
28:17 against then-number-one pound-for-pound Vasily Lomachenko
28:21 when he was crowned champion.
28:24 - I think Taylor needs to stop loading up,
28:26 and he just needs to touch Lopez to the body and to the head.
28:31 Good shot right there. These right hands
28:33 starting to get more and more of a reaction out of Taylor.
28:38 But Taylor needs to get busy and stop trying to go power for power
28:42 because Lopez is that guy in that category.
28:47 And thus far, Taylor hasn't gotten a response from Lopez,
28:52 but Lopez has gotten a response from Taylor when he's landed.
28:57 - You can see Taylor complaining about that body shot
29:00 perhaps going a bit low as they fight on.
29:04 - Break, break, break! Don't push him. Don't push him.
29:09 - Break, break, break! Don't push him. Don't push him.
29:13 - Break, break, break! Don't push him. Don't push him.
29:17 - I see a lot of confidence in the body language
29:21 and in the face of Taylor right now.
29:23 - Extreme confidence, Dre.
29:25 - I don't see a lot of confidence in Taylor,
29:27 but I see a lot of confidence from Lopez.
29:29 - Timed that left hand to Taylor moments ago.
29:32 You can see a little bit of damage to the right side of the face of Teofimo,
29:37 but he's stepping over, taking angles, giving a wiggle to the hip.
29:41 He's feeling it.
29:42 This is the Teofimo that everybody fell in love with stylistically
29:46 on the way up, on his rise to become a world champion.
29:50 The more recent outings were a little uninspiring in his entry into 140 pounds,
29:55 but the biggest lights, the biggest stage,
29:58 tend to bring out the best in this guy.
30:01 - Break! Break!
30:04 - Break! Break!
30:06 - Break! Break!
30:08 - Break! Break!
30:10 - Break! Break!
30:12 - Not saying Taylor can't take the momentum back down the stretch,
30:15 but I don't think things are gonna get better for him
30:18 on the back stretch of this fight,
30:20 unless he finds something in his bag that he hasn't shown thus far.
30:24 - Oh!
30:28 That lunging shot from Teofimo.
30:31 He's done that in the past when he's feeling it.
30:34 And now look at this.
30:36 Vintage Teofimo.
30:39 [bell ringing]
30:41 [crowd cheering]
31:09 - And now he's got it.
31:10 - And you don't throw this kind of shot in a fight
31:13 unless you feel like you're in full control,
31:15 you're feeling good, and you're having your way.
31:18 And for Taylor, you can't get hit with that kind of shot.
31:21 A leaping shot like that, with Lopez being that far out,
31:25 you get hit with it, you better have a counter on the back end.
31:29 So far, Taylor has no answers for the flavor,
31:33 for the skill, and the power of Teofimo Lopez.
31:37 - Both feet off the ground, leaping forward
31:39 with that lunging left hand.
31:41 [bell ringing]
31:43 Punches thrown for rounds.
31:45 You see Josh Taylor well off the mark,
31:50 well below the junior welterweight average as well.
31:54 Teo is in control right now.
32:05 This from a fighter who this past December
32:09 was asking, "Do I still have it?"
32:12 Bernardo.
32:17 - I just spoke with Joe McNally.
32:19 He says, "Look, he has to get in a rhythm."
32:21 Josh is allowing Teofimo to land one shot at a time,
32:24 and he's gotta keep his outside foot outside of Teofimo.
32:29 - How does he do that? How does he do that, Dre?
32:31 To get into that rhythm, to find the place
32:34 where he can have offensive success.
32:35 Obviously, the southpaw stance,
32:36 you always wanna have that position with the outside foot.
32:38 - Before I answer that, Teo just froze Lopez--
32:41 excuse me, Taylor with an uppercut that hurt him,
32:45 made him stand still,
32:47 and he hasn't answered that big shot yet.
32:49 - Yeah, by the way, another glimpse
32:50 of the hand speed differential.
32:53 - That's not gonna be good for Taylor down the stretch.
33:03 - Teofimo trying to time that uppercut.
33:04 - That hurt him. He's not looking good.
33:07 - Two-punch combination. - And here comes Lopez.
33:09 - Right hand comes in from Teofimo.
33:12 He was looking for the lead, left uppercut,
33:14 trying to find something spectacular.
33:17 The crowd, you can see everybody here at MSG
33:19 on their feet, sensing it.
33:21 - The face of both fighters tells it all right now.
33:27 Lopez is hunting in full confidence,
33:31 and Taylor searching for answers while getting hit.
33:32 - I mean, that tells you all you need to see.
33:34 The orthodox stance fighter, Teofimo,
33:37 throws a right hand, steps over, falls in,
33:39 steps over with his right foot,
33:41 and just simply stays there and looks at Taylor,
33:44 in complete control in his mind,
33:46 bubbling over with confidence.
33:48 - You ask how Taylor can get into this fight,
33:50 he's gotta come behind his right hand, the right jab,
33:52 he's gotta let his shots go, and then be mindful
33:55 because Lopez is coming back with a missile.
33:59 He's gotta wake himself up, remind himself
34:01 that he's in MSG and that he's fighting
34:05 for all the marbles right now,
34:07 not all the belts, before his reputation and everything.
34:10 He's been off 16, 17 months.
34:12 He's gotta get it done tonight,
34:14 but Lopez ain't making it easy.
34:16 - I think about the layoff, and I think about the stretch.
34:20 - Mean shot from Teofimo Lopez.
34:23 Half right uppercut.
34:27 Oh, and the head shot combination
34:28 sends Taylor back against the ropes.
34:31 - No answer from Taylor.
34:34 - How about this story that is unfolding
34:37 with Teofimo Lopez?
34:39 Body shot comes in.
34:41 [bell dings]
34:43 Another big round for Teofimo Lopez.
34:47 [crowd cheering]
34:50 [crowd chanting]
34:53 [crowd chanting]
34:56 [crowd chanting]
34:59 - You're letting him get off.
35:01 You hear me?
35:03 - See, Lopez in full control, full confidence.
35:06 Didn't land all those shots, but the last one landed.
35:09 But what's more telling, it's not the punches
35:11 that Lopez is landing.
35:13 It's the fact that Taylor's not throwing anything in return.
35:15 This is a prideful, confident guy
35:18 who's used to having his way.
35:20 I don't see that fire in his eyes.
35:22 I don't see that competitiveness.
35:24 I see a guy that's slowly starting to concede.
35:27 - Let's hear how the scorecards of Max and Mark read
35:30 through 9.
35:31 - I gave Taylor the first and the third.
35:33 I've given Lopez every other round.
35:35 And by the way, the third was close.
35:37 - I got 88-83, Teofimo Lopez comfortably in charge.
35:42 We've never, ever seen Josh Taylor like this.
35:46 I got Teofimo winning one, two, three, four, five, six
35:50 consecutive rounds.
35:52 - Me too.
35:53 - This is a fighter, Josh Taylor,
35:55 who had one of the most impressive stretches of wins
35:59 to earn that undisputed status.
36:01 He went through five fighters who had a combined record
36:04 of 133-0.
36:07 But time away from the ring clearly has not served him well.
36:11 And a well-conditioned and incredibly inspired
36:15 Teofimo Lopez trying to silence doubters is opposite him,
36:20 looking as sharp and crisp, as fast and dynamic
36:24 as he ever has.
36:26 - Taylor's got to decide right now how he wants to go out.
36:32 When is he gonna be okay with when he wakes up
36:34 tomorrow morning and reflects on this fight?
36:37 He's got to let his hands go.
36:39 You say, "Well, he may get caught."
36:41 Well, he's getting caught laying on the outside
36:43 and watching and posing and taking pictures of Lopez.
36:46 He needs to let his shots go
36:48 in hopes that he can land something big.
36:50 - Regret hangs heavy.
36:53 You got to live with it,
36:55 and you get these small windows of opportunity.
36:58 And right now, the window is closing.
37:00 As we're halfway through round number 10,
37:03 it is closing for Josh Taylor.
37:05 Undefeated, was undisputed, the lineal champion.
37:09 He is the man in this division.
37:11 - Hey, hey, hey, no punches.
37:13 - And here is Teofimo Lopez on the doorstep
37:17 of becoming a two-division world champion.
37:20 - Lopez looking for that one big shot.
37:31 He should have a comfortable enough lead on the scorecards.
37:35 He doesn't have to fight punch for punch with Taylor right now.
37:38 The burden and the onus is on Taylor to make something happen.
37:41 - That's gonna play right into Lopez's game
37:43 as he's looking for a big shot, preferably with the right hand.
37:46 Could be a straight, could be an overhand,
37:48 could be an uppercut.
37:50 But he's watching, he's laying in wait,
37:53 and he's looking for that perfect shot.
37:55 - Michael Griffin was given a warning...
38:10 ...which he's given before of pushing down,
38:13 and in the midst of that warning, Taylor placed a body shot.
38:16 - This straight right hand from Lopez.
38:18 Reminded Josh Taylor that I'm here.
38:23 - You brought it up earlier, Dre,
38:25 of do not discount the ring IQ
38:27 and the boxing ability of Teofimo Lopez.
38:29 That has proven true.
38:31 Look at the upper body head movement now
38:34 against the ropes.
38:36 - He's a top amateur. He's been boxing for most of his life.
38:40 And all the talk we heard all week long
38:43 about "I wanna kill him," and "I'm gonna do this,"
38:45 and "I'm gonna do that," and then his father trainer
38:47 yesterday said, "We're gonna box,
38:49 and we're gonna show skill."
38:51 [bell dings]
38:53 [crowd cheering]
38:56 [upbeat music]
38:59 ♪ ♪
39:06 - I hope he feels like that.
39:08 You see what I'm saying? You back him up.
39:10 Listen to me.
39:12 - A lot of good work from Teofimo Lopez
39:14 throughout this fight. His offense has really been his defense.
39:17 He's done a little bit of everything,
39:19 and he's shown a deep bag, good straight counter right hand
39:22 right there from Lopez. Then he leaped.
39:24 That's one of those "I'm-a-do-what-I-feel-like-doin'"
39:27 kind of punches, and there's nothing Taylor can do about it.
39:29 A flurry with the right hand landing on the end,
39:32 changing up the speed and the cadence and the rhythm,
39:35 keeping Taylor off balance.
39:37 And explosiveness and accuracy has been the order of the day
39:40 for Teofimo Lopez.
39:42 [upbeat music]
39:44 [whistle blows]
39:46 [crowd shouting]
39:49 - The championship rounds have arrived.
39:52 - Three-minute round.
39:54 [bell dings]
39:55 - And you could fill this theater at MSG
39:58 with those who are doubting if Teofimo Lopez
40:01 at this stage in this division
40:04 would be in position that he is right now.
40:07 - He's in control to claim the world championship
40:10 at 140 pounds.
40:13 Significant underdog, according to Vegas.
40:17 Uninspiring last time out against a bigger man,
40:22 a man who had a tremendous run to sit atop it.
40:26 And now desperation for Taylor.
40:29 - Hey, don't go.
40:32 - Rosterio. - Bernardo.
40:34 - I just spoke with Joe McNally, and I asked him,
40:36 "Do you have a sense of urgency for Josh here?"
40:38 He says, "No. If we win these next two rounds,
40:41 we go back home with the belts."
40:43 - I would be surprised if that's the case,
40:45 but then again, this sport and three judges
40:48 often surprise me.
40:50 - I think Taylor needs a knockout to win.
40:55 Now, again, we don't know what the judges are looking at,
40:58 but Lopez has been piling up points.
41:01 He's been landing the heavier shots, the more telling shots,
41:03 the more accurate shots.
41:05 He's been controlling the pace of this fight.
41:08 - Right! Don't push him. Don't push him down.
41:16 - Which is why you don't see Lopez
41:18 in much of a hurry right now.
41:20 He's taking this round off
41:23 to finish stronger in the 12th.
41:25 [whistle blows]
41:34 - Whenever Lopez picks up his offense,
41:37 Taylor doesn't seem to have an answer.
41:40 He did early in the fight, maybe in the first
41:42 two to three rounds, but not past that point.
41:45 - Oh, he catches him with the right uppercut
41:52 as Taylor was coming inside.
41:54 - That's the shot he's been looking for.
41:56 - And then goes to the body that time.
41:58 - Give me the uppercut to the chin
42:00 over the straight stab to the body that Lopez just landed.
42:03 - Yeah, especially this deep into the fight.
42:05 - The second one doesn't feel good.
42:08 - And now you see more of the head movement
42:10 and the swag and the style
42:12 and the defensive prowess and confidence of Tiafemo.
42:15 - And why not?
42:17 You're in control like this, why not?
42:19 Why not put a little extra sauce on it?
42:22 At this point, Lopez is doing what he wants to do,
42:25 not what he's allowed to do.
42:27 - It's gonna be fascinating
42:31 to listen in to the corner of Taylor here
42:35 after the report we just heard from Bernardo,
42:37 where perhaps they don't sense the urgency
42:40 that everybody else does.
42:41 There's the right uppercut again, Dre.
42:43 - Followed by a left hook to the body from Lopez.
42:47 - Lopez hears the clap and turns it on
42:50 and Taylor's hanging on.
42:53 Lopez is raising his hands at the end of 11.
42:57 He's feeling it, folks.
42:59 [cheers and applause]
43:02 [indistinct chatter]
43:05 ♪ ♪
43:12 - He's on the side.
43:14 ♪ ♪
43:16 - T-O! T-O!
43:18 ♪ ♪
43:22 - I need you to press him.
43:25 Stay on his chest.
43:27 ♪ ♪
43:30 - You're the best fighter in the world!
43:32 - The quick uppers, what Lopez has been waiting for,
43:35 Taylor to make mistakes on all night.
43:37 Just a half step back, boom!
43:40 Flush on the chin of Taylor. He took it well,
43:42 but you can't give up those kind of shots all night long.
43:45 That's a lead uppercut.
43:46 That's not really a punch you're supposed to throw,
43:48 and it's a really hard punch to land.
43:51 But Taylor's--I mean, Lopez has landed that shot
43:53 all night long.
43:54 - Dre, do you remember October of 2020?
43:57 When Tiafemo had the great win against
44:00 then number one pound-for-pound Vasily Lomachenko?
44:03 And when he came out for the 12th round,
44:06 he said, "I'm going all out."
44:08 He landed 50 punches against Lomachenko
44:11 in that final round.
44:12 It was the most punches ever landed
44:14 against Lomachenko in any round in Loma's career.
44:17 Let's see if he applies the same acceleration
44:21 down the stretch here to close out this one.
44:24 [crowd chanting "Dre"]
44:29 The crowd is loving what they are seeing
44:32 out of Brooklyn's Tiafemo Lopez.
44:35 Is he 2 1/2 minutes away from climbing back
44:39 to the top of a mountain?
44:41 [crowd chanting]
44:44 [crowd chanting]
44:47 [crowd chanting]
44:50 - Good defense from Lopez.
44:53 - Not allowing Taylor to mount any offense
44:56 in this last round.
44:59 It's discouraging when you can't hit the target.
45:04 And then you get hit in return.
45:05 - Oh, he sets him off balance!
45:08 [crowd chanting]
45:11 - Want to remind everybody that we will have
45:15 the complete post-fight analysis and commentary
45:19 and all the interviews on the State of Boxing
45:22 exclusively on the ESPN app.
45:25 Go to ESPN Plus immediately following the fight
45:29 and we will have the State of Boxing.
45:31 You'll hear from the fighters
45:33 and we'll give you all the analysis.
45:35 - Taylor better be careful he don't get knocked out
45:37 in this last round.
45:38 - Oh, three-punch combination,
45:40 including the right hand to the body, Dre.
45:42 - He's fatigued, he's making bad decisions,
45:44 and that power has carried all the way
45:47 to this 12th round for Lopez.
45:49 And he's looking for a knockout.
45:51 - Lunges again with the left hand.
45:54 That leaping left was his signature punch
45:56 of round number eight.
45:57 Now he does it with the hook.
45:59 Goes underneath with a short right uppercut.
46:01 Josh Taylor just not there here,
46:04 coming down the stretch,
46:06 trying to defend his status,
46:10 his undefeated status, lineal champion.
46:14 It's been all Tiafemo here at MSG.
46:18 - 40 seconds left.
46:21 Let's see if Lopez can seal this fight
46:24 with another big shot and try to hurt Taylor
46:27 or put him down.
46:29 - There's gonna be a lot of "I told you so" coming
46:33 from Tiafemo and his father.
46:36 They felt it, they knew it,
46:39 amidst reported chaos.
46:41 Look at this finish from Tiafemo.
46:44 Two right hand head shots
46:47 in his hometown at the Plano Arena.
46:51 A place where he's brought so much drama to the stage.
46:55 MSG, and he's about to be on top of the world again.
46:59 [bell dings]
47:01 [cheers and applause]
47:04 Heck of a performance.
47:11 - Yeah! Yes, yes, yes!
47:16 [whistle blows]
47:18 [crowd chanting]
47:21 ♪ ♪
47:28 ♪ ♪
47:33 - At a place where he lost all his belts
47:36 on a night when he fought with a severe injury
47:39 that he says almost cost him his life,
47:42 he returns to New York
47:44 and puts forth that performance
47:47 against the undefeated world champion Josh Taylor.
47:51 Let's go see those right hands, Dre,
47:55 that he landed at the end of the final round.
47:57 - Yeah, he's just doing whatever he wants to do at this point.
47:59 He's leading with big shots.
48:01 That's a baseball bat kind of shot.
48:03 Like, Taylor couldn't get out of the way.
48:05 Landed clean, landed flush.
48:07 - Oh, that's good eye candy right there, my man.
48:09 - Lopez showed what he was gonna do,
48:11 and Taylor still couldn't do anything about it.
48:13 He closed the show in spectacular fashion.
48:16 Took away everything.
48:18 Took the confidence from Taylor.
48:19 Took the power from Taylor.
48:21 Taylor didn't look like himself tonight.
48:22 We cannot blame a layoff.
48:24 He took the fight,
48:25 and Lopez shined tonight in an MSG.
48:30 - Lopez in that final round.
48:33 A fight-high 21 power punches landed.
48:38 We're gonna hear from the judges in a moment
48:41 as top-ranked boxing on ESPN is presented by AutoZone.
48:45 - Get in the zone.
48:47 Father and son.
48:49 They've been through so much turmoil.
48:51 The ups, the downs,
48:53 and now they are gonna feel the high when we return.
48:57 Teofimo Lopez and his father.
49:04 They did everything they said they would tonight.
49:08 Max and Mark, your final scores.
49:11 - [indistinct chatter]
49:13 - 11-T Teofimo Lopez.
49:17 117, 111-T Teofimo Lopez in the--
49:20 Lopez took the 10th round off.
49:22 Otherwise, he swept the fight starting in the 4th round.
49:25 He was losing the fight early.
49:28 He took both hands and pushed Taylor down at one point.
49:32 Taylor hits the ground, gets back up,
49:34 but it stopped his forward momentum,
49:36 and from that moment on,
49:39 Lopez started feeling himself.
49:40 You saw it in the body language.
49:42 He's the more resourceful fighter.
49:44 He beat him up most rounds by obvious margins.
49:47 117, 111, nine rounds to three.
49:49 - Nine rounds to three in the same ring
49:53 where 561 days ago he lost to George Cambosis.
49:58 You've got to look at that fight differently now.
50:01 He told me, "I was fighting with an anvil on my chest."
50:05 Looks like he was. You have to consider,
50:08 this wasn't the layoff.
50:09 This wasn't anything having to do with Josh Taylor.
50:12 We've seen Josh Taylor look nothing but masterful.
50:15 He ran into Teofimo Lopez,
50:18 who might just be as good as he thinks.
50:21 - Let's show you copy box numbers,
50:23 because especially the way that he closed the show,
50:26 he had, in the 11th and 12th round,
50:29 a 35-to-5 edge in power shots
50:32 when he knew he was taking it down the stretch.
50:36 A dominating performance by Lopez,
50:37 according to copy box, a 138-to-60 connect advantage.
50:42 Let's get the official scores.
50:44 [bell ringing]
50:46 - Ladies and gentlemen, after 12 rounds
50:48 here inside the theater at Madison Square Garden,
50:51 we go to the judges' scorecards for the official decision.
50:55 [indistinct chatter]
50:57 Steve Gray scores the bout 115-113.
51:00 Joe Pasquale scores the bout 115-113.
51:05 Ed Benoit-Roussel scores the bout 117-111
51:09 for your winner by unanimous decision
51:13 and new WBO lineal junior welterweight champion
51:18 of the world,
51:20 the TakeOver Teofimo Lopez!
51:26 [bell ringing]
51:27 - The TakeOver, who at one point,
51:30 when he started this ascent to get back,
51:33 said it's gonna be now the take back.
51:35 He did it. He's on top of the world again.
51:38 And now he's with Bernardo,
51:40 the new junior welterweight champion of the world.
51:43 Bernardo.
51:44 - Teofimo, I know that.
51:45 That's the belt that--