Josh Taylor will defend his 140-pound title in opposition to Teofimo Lopez in a showdown that’s essential for each fighters Saturday in New York Metropolis.

JOSH TAYLOR (19-0, 13 KOs) VS. TEOFIMO LOPEZ (18-1, 13 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, June 10
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (principal occasion later in present)
  • The place: Madison Sq. Backyard, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Junior welterweight (140 kilos)
  • At stake: Taylor’s WBO title
  • Odds: Taylor 1½-1 favourite (common of a number of retailers)
  • Additionally on the cardboard: Xander Zayas vs. Ronald Cruz, junior middleweights; Robson Conceicao vs. Nicolas Polanco, junior lightweights; Henry Lebron vs. Carlos Ramos, junior lightweights; Jamaine Ortiz vs. Humberto Galindo, lightweights
  • Prediction: Lopez SD
  • Background: The principle occasion fighters are each aiming to reestablished misplaced momentum. Taylor, whose assortment of titles is down to at least one, hasn’t fought since he survived a knockdown to defeat Jack Catterall by a disputed break up determination in February of final 12 months in Taylor’s native Scotland. That was his fourth protection after profitable his first title by a unanimous determination over Ivan Baranchyk in Might 2019. He subsequently defeated Regis Prograis, Apinun Khongsong and Jose Ramirez earlier than delivering a so-so efficiency in opposition to Catterall. Lopez turned the 135-pound division the wrong way up when he upset pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko by a unanimous determination in October 2020. His glory didn’t final lengthy, nevertheless. In his first protection George Kambosos Jr. upset Lopez by a break up determination in November 2021. It was discovered afterward that Lopez fought with a harmful situation referred to as Pneumomediastinum, wherein air surrounded his chest wall and coronary heart. He additionally reportedly had a slew of distractions outdoors the ring. He took eight-plus months off and returned as a 140-pounder, stopping Pedro Campa final August and defeating a reluctant Sandor Martin by a break up determination in December. That is Lopez’s probability to regain what the standing he misplaced in opposition to Kambosos.