Unpacking the cultural roots of the boxing star.
Teofimo Lopez Jr., also known as Teófimo Andrés López Rivera, is a professional boxer and the current WBO and The Ring light welterweight champion. He claimed both titles with a dominant victory over Josh Taylor in April 2023. Since then, he has successfully defended them twice in 2024, defeating Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett by unanimous decision, further solidifying his dominance in the division.
Previously, Lopez held the unified and The Ring lightweight titles from 2019 to 2021. He made his professional debut in late 2016 with a knockout win over Ishwar Siqueiros, launching a 16-fight winning streak. That run ended with a split-decision loss to George Kambosos Jr., in which he lost the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles. According to BoxRec, Lopez currently holds a professional record of 21–1 with a knockout percentage of 61.9%.
Teofimo Lopez Jr. is of Honduran descent, which represents the eighth-largest Hispanic group in the United States. His ancestry can be traced to his paternal grandfather, a Spaniard from Ávila who settled in Honduras. When Lopez’s father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., was five years old, he immigrated with his mother from Honduras to Brooklyn, New York.
Lopez talked about his ancestry in a 2024 Jaxxon Podcast episode when he stated, “So, I am Spain and Honduran.“ Referring to his name, “Teofimo,” he said, “Teofimo is an interesting name, though at the same time, as I said, it is bred from Spain, my great-grandfather.” He went on to say, “Name is different, it is unique. Not many people have it. It is only three in the world now: my father, me, and my son.”
Teofimo Lopez is of American nationality by birth. He was born on July 30, 1997, in New York City and raised in Florida, in the United States. However, with both parents of Honduran nationality, he represented Honduras as an amateur boxer at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
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