Teofimo Lopez puts his WBO and The Ring super lightweight titles on the line against undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr. Friday in Times Square. The bout headlines a fight card also featuring Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Jose Carlos Ramirez.
Lopez, 27, holds a professional record of 21-1 with 13 knockouts. He rose to prominence by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 to unify lightweight championships. After losing those belts, he moved to the super lightweight division, winning five straight, including a victory over Josh Taylor for his current WBO and Ring titles.
Barboza Jr., 33, brings a perfect 32-0 record with 11 knockouts into the title challenge. His path to this opportunity has been described as long and arduous, marked by overcoming promotional hurdles and accepting difficult bouts without the fanfare often afforded to other prospects. His recent victories include wins over Jose Carlos Ramirez and Jack Catterall.
Tension has built between the two fighters leading up to the event. Barboza has publicly referred to Lopez as a "clown," suggesting Lopez seeks attention constantly. Lopez responded by slapping Barboza at a Los Angeles news conference, escalating the rivalry.
Barboza secured his status as the mandatory challenger by winning the WBO interim super lightweight championship against Jack Catterall by split decision in February. This win followed his decision victory over former unified champion Jose Ramirez in November.
The WBO rankings list several contenders in the 140-pound division following Lopez, including Alfredo Santiago, Isaac Cruz, Subriel MatÃas, Jack Catterall, and Liam Paro. Barboza's win over Catterall helped secure the title fight against Teofimo Lopez.
The Times Square event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET. The main event ring walks are anticipated around 7 p.m. ET, depending on the length of earlier fights.
The event is available for viewing on DAZN pay-per-view. The PPV price is $59.99 or can be bundled with another fight the next night for $89.99. WATCH: Times Square boxing fights live on DAZN.
The fight card also includes Ryan Garcia versus Rolly Romero for the WBA (Regular) welterweight title, Devin Haney against Jose Carlos Ramirez in a welterweight bout, and Levale Whittington versus Reito Tsutsumi.
Barboza expressed confidence stemming from his recent activity and wins.
"I just can’t wait for the whole world to see who I am. I’ve just got to go perform," Barboza told BoxingScene.
