Teofimo Lopez has relinquished his world title, according to WBO president Paco Valcarcel, seemingly confirming the super-lightweight’s claim that he has retired.
Lopez took the WBO belt from Josh Taylor with a decision win in New York City on Saturday (10 June), handing the Scot the first loss of his professional career.
In the days since, Lopez has insisted that the fight was his last, despite the American being just 25 years old.
Those claims were seemingly more than just a bluff, with Valcarcel tweeting on Thursday (15 June): “Just now @TeofimoLopez is texting me that he relinquished his [super-lightweight] title.
“We should respect his decision... If he come[s] back, wbo doors will be always open for him.”
If Lopez is to keep his word, he will retire as a two-weight world champion, having previously held the unified titles at lightweight. The American won those belts by outpointing Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020, before losing them to George Kambosos Jr via decision in his next fight.
Lopez then moved up to lightweight in 2022, stopping Pedro Campa and securing a controversial points win over Sandor Martin. Those victories set up a title fight with WBO champion Taylor.
Taylor previously reigned as undisputed champion at lightweight, but the 32-year-old vacated two titles and was stripped of another in the aftermath of his fight with Jack Catterall in February 2022.
Taylor was a controversial decision winner against the Englishman in Glasgow, and shed three of his titles while pursuing a rematch with Catterall. That rematch fell through earlier this year, opening the door to a bout between Taylor and Lopez.
Taylor has since expressed his desire to finally move up to welterweight.
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