Boxing Preview: Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) vs. Steve Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs)
Teofimo Lopez, clinging to relevance, decides to remind us he’s still in the game by defending his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight titles in the humid air of Downtown Miami’s James L. Knight Center on June 29. His opponent, Steve Claggett from Canada, is apparently the only guy brave—or bored—enough to step into the ring with him.
In a bid to stoke the embers of his fading career, Cuban ex-champ Robeisy Ramirez will scrap against Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez. Perhaps they’ll wake the crowd up. As for the televised curtain-raiser, middleweight Nico Ali Walsh gets a shot at redemption against Sona Akale, hoping to erase the sting of a previous loss.
ESPN will stream this trio of fights live, ensuring that even those unable to experience the tepid atmosphere in person won’t miss out on the mediocrity. Meanwhile, Top Rank, in a stroke of marketing genius, has paired with Eye of The Tiger, and they’ll start peddling tickets on May 22 via Ticketmaster —because nothing screams ‘excitement’ like an online queue.
Bob Arum, ever the optimist, claims Lopez is a thrill to watch. According to him, Ramirez is on a quest to reclaim past glory, and Ali Walsh craves vengeance. It all sounds incredibly dramatic if you ignore the predictability.
Lopez, the local hero with a penchant for melodrama, insists on a fairy tale ending in his hometown, while Claggett is just thrilled to have a job. Ramirez and Benitez are rehashing the old Cuba vs. Mexico storyline, promising a fight that might just be worth the ticket price. And Ali Walsh? He’s trying to step out of his grandfather’s colossal shadow, one rematch at a time.
FULL FIGHT CARD
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett for Lopez’s WBO junior welterweight title
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Brandon Leon Benitez; Featherweight
Yan Santana vs. Brandon Valdes; Featherweight
Rohan Polanco vs. Luis Hernandez Ramos; Welterweight
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale; Middleweight
Euri Cedeno vs. Dormedes Potes; Middleweight
Lorenzo Medina vs. Colby Madison: Heavyweight
Bryan Polaco vs. Richard Acevedo; Middleweight
