Teofimo Lopez is stepping away from boxing at age 25.
Lopez shockingly announced his retirement on social media early Sunday morning following his win over Josh Taylor.
Michael Benson @MichaelBensonn‼️ Teofimo Lopez insisting he is now retired from boxing following his win over Josh Taylor… <a href="">
After a shaky performance against Sandor Martin last December, Lopez returned in peak form against Taylor, breezing to a unanimous decision victory that earned him the WBO and The Ring light welterweight titles. It didn't take long after his triumph for Lopez to hint he might be stepping away from the sport.
"I need to take a break," Lopez said, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN. "I'm tired of everybody bullying me. I'm young. I'm a kid, too, at heart. I think y'all need to go after the Devin Haneys, the Shakurs, the Tyson Furys and all that."
Sky Sports Boxing @SkySportsBoxing"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁? 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲!"🤯<br><br>Teofimo Lopez says he needs a break and will consider hanging up his gloves because he "doesn't get loved enough..."💔 <a href="">
Of course, this is a boxing retirement, so we must note that these rarely stick—especially the first one. Lopez is just 25 years old and sounded like a fighter who was burned out by the pressure, especially coming after his spotlight dimmed following the fight against Martin. His reputation as one of the sport's rising stars took a hit following his loss to George Kambosos Jr., and the criticism of his bouts was clearly weighing on him.
Coming into Saturday night as an underdog against Taylor, Lopez said he enjoyed fighting from an underdog perspective.
"Tonight was for me," Lopez said, per Rothstein. "And I like against all odds. I like when I question myself. I do it on purpose. I need the pressure on me because that's what makes diamonds. And tonight, I shined very bright tonight."
Taylor entered the bout at 19-0 and was considered a seemingly unstoppable force in the light-welterweight division. He had not fought since a split decision victory over Jack Catterall in February 2022 and has kept a limited schedule in recent years, so it's worth wondering whether ring rust played a factor.
That said, it doesn't appear Taylor will be getting a chance at a rematch any time soon.
Lopez said he spent recent years questioning himself after being hailed as "The Takeover" in his rise to prominence, and now that he's once again proved his standing among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, he's ready to walk away.
At least for now.
