Teofimo Lopez Defeats Steven Butler in Dominant Title Defense

In a super lightweight title bout that concluded earlier today, WBO and The Ring Magazine super lightweight champion, American Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs), secured a comprehensive 12-round points victory over Canadian Steven Butler (38-8-2, 26 KOs) to defend his world title for the second time at 140 pounds.

The match took place in Miami Beach, Florida, and headlined the ESPN broadcast. There was a noticeable disparity in skill, with Butler adopting an aggressive stance throughout, pressing forward, but Lopez showcased superior technique and power, landing more telling blows. Despite absorbing some hooks from Lopez, Butler displayed commendable resilience, lasting all 12 rounds without suffering significant damage. The judges’ scorecards reflected a lopsided victory for Lopez, with scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.

At 26 years old, Lopez’s professional record improves to 21 wins and 1 loss, with 13 of those victories coming by way of knockout. He is now ranked second in the BoxRec 140-pound rankings, trailing only Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs). Lopez has previously defeated notable fighters such as Vasiliy Lomachenko, Richard Commey, Josh Taylor, and Sandor Martin, displaying a combination of strength, skill, and speed. However, his punch power seems to have diminished slightly since moving up to the 140-pound division.

In the preceding undercard bout, former WBO featherweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Cuban Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs), made a triumphant return to the ring by stopping Mexican Brandon Leon Benitez (21-3, 9 KOs) in the seventh round.