Teofimo Lopez Forged the 2018 TSS Knockout of the Year

On Dec. 8, Vasiliy Lomachenko opposed WBO lightweight title-holder Jose Pedraza in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Teofimo Lopez appeared on the undercard and stole the show with a highlight-reel knockout of Mason Menard. It isn’t easy to upstage Lomachenko, a mesmerizing glove man, but Lopez did it and it took him all of 44 seconds.

Menard, from Rayne, Louisiana, sported a record of 34-3. True, his record was largely manufactured off in the Cajun boondocks, a region known for spawning good jockeys, not good boxers, but Menard had defeated two highly-regarded prospects and had lasted into the seventh round with rugged Raymundo Beltran, so he represented a step up in class for Lopez who had only 10 pro fights under his belt and was coming off hand surgery.

This fight figured to go a few rounds and another upset win by Menard wouldn’t have been a shocker.

Teofimo came out fast, forcing the action. The bout was barely a half-minute old when he fired off an overhand right that landed just below Menard’s left ear. Menard pitched forward, landing face first on the canvas, out cold.

In a touch of irony, Menard had previously forged a highlight-reel knockout of his own. On April 15, 2016, on a “Sho-Box, The Next Generation” card at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, the Cajun boy became a You Tube sensation with a vicious one-punch knockout of Eudy Bernardo, an undefeated (21-0) fighter from the Dominican Republic.

And so, on Dec. 8, Mason Menard became the latest personification of that hoary saying that says what goes around, comes around.

Teofimo Lopez, born in Brooklyn, raised in Davie, Florida, and currently a resident of Las Vegas, is 21 years old. His parents were born in Honduras and he represented that Central American nation at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was the entire Honduran Olympic team.

Lopez is trained by his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., who is confoundedly called Junior. The elder Lopez is his son’s biggest booster. “My son will become a big pay-per-view star,” he promises. That’s the ultimate goal, not merely winning a few titles.

For several months now, the elder Lopez has been chumming the water for a fight between his son and Lomachenko. “That would be an easy fight for us,” he says. “My son is too fast and too strong for him.”

Don’t look for that fight to happen anytime soon. If they were to meet in 2019, Lomachenko would likely take him to school. Plus, it’s a moot point as Bob Arum, who promotes both, wouldn’t allow it. Although Teofimo has answered the bell for only 34 rounds, there are far safer options for Loma. (According to rumor, the next fight for “High Tech” will transpire on April 14 at the LA Staples Center against the winner of the forthcoming fight between Richard Commey and little-known Isa Chaniev, a fight that hasn’t yet been officially signed.)

As lightweights go, Lopez is on the big side. At 21 he’s still growing into his body, so a move to 140 seems like the logical next step. That’s a division stocked with young talent and adding Teofimo to the mix would give it a brighter tint.

As for Lopez becoming a big PPV star, we wouldn’t bet against it. He packs a big punch and outside the ring he brings a charismatic swagger. And should that actually come to pass – should he blossom into a big star – his knockout of Mason Menard will be remembered as the first highlight-reel moment of a storied career.

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