Takeover season in full effect: Teofimo Lopez drops Pedro Campa

It’s officially take back season for Teofimo “Takeover” Lopez. Lopez hasn’t fought since last November after losing his undisputed belts to George Kamboses. Since the loss it’s been well documented of the mental and physical trauma that Lopez has gone through. Brooklyn’s Lopez rebounded in a major way with a seventh-round stoppage of Mexico’s Pedro Campa. Lopez scored a knockdown early in the round and then pummeled Campa until forcing referee Tony Weeks to intervene at 2:14 of the seventh round in their ESPN televised main event Saturday evening from Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas.

The fight was Lopez’s first fight at his new weight at 140 and Lopez claims 140 is the best thing for him and his body. “I was at 135 pounds for nine years,” Lopez noted after his knockout win in explaining the physical difference felt Saturday evening in the ring. “It was killing my body since I was a teenage kid, man.” Adding Lopez to the ranks at the 140 pound division is a very exciting proposition for boxing fans because there are some spectacular fights that can be made.

Lopez needed to show tonight that he had enough power to last at 140. For the most part he did tonight. Lopez produced the lone knockdown of the bout with a right hand and left hook early in round seven. Lopez sped up the pressure unloading with a series of power shots as Campa’s left eye was all but swollen shut and nose bloodied. This win gave Lopez his first win in nearly two years.

Lopez says that he will headline ESPN and Top Rank’s December 10 show, which will accompany the network’s presentation of college football’s annual Heisman Award ceremony. The card will take place at MSG Arena. There are a number of guys Lopez can fight on that huge card.

“We want [lineal/IBF/WBO champ] Josh Taylor. We want these guys,” Lopez insisted. “We want [Regis] Prograis. We want [Jose] Zepeda. We want all the belts. We want to become two-time undisputed champion.”

These fights could be hard to make because each fighter named has upcoming fights that may interrupt Lopez’s December plan. However, an interesting dynamic in this fight was when Lopez invited guest Oscar Dela Hoya was sitting ringside. Dela Hoya who represents unbeaten rising star Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19KOs).Lopez mentioned wanting his next fight on Pay-Per-View. Garcia would be the only option to fit that bill, if he’s even available. The 24-year-old is also in talks to next face lightweight star Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25KOs), though a superfight with Lopez is a great alternate plan.