Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teófimo López
{{Short description|2020 boxing match in Nevada}}
{{use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name = Winner Takes All
| image = 250px
| caption =
| fight date = October 17, 2020
| location = MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
| titles = WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles
| fighter1 = {{flagicon|UKR}} Vasiliy Lomachenko
| nickname1 = "Loma"
| hometown1 = Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine
| purse1 = $3,250,000
| record1 = 14–1 (10 KO)
| age1 = {{age in years and months |17 February 1988 |17 October 2020}}
| height1 = 5 ft 7 in
| weight1 = 135 lb
| style1 = Southpaw
| recognition1 = WBA, WBO and The Ring
Lightweight Champion
TBRB
No. 1 Ranked Lightweight
The Ring No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter
3-division world champion
| fighter2 = {{flagicon|USA}} Teófimo López
| nickname2 = "The Takeover"
| hometown2 = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
| purse2 = $1,500,000
| record2 = 15–0 (12 KO)
| age2 = {{age in years and months |July 30, 1997 |17 October 2020}}
| height2 = 5 ft 8 in
| weight2 = 135 lb
| style2 = Orthodox
| recognition2 = IBF
Lightweight Champion
The Ring
No. 1 Ranked Lightweight
TBRB
No. 2 Ranked Lightweight
| result = López wins via 12-round unanimous decision (116–112, 119–109, 117–111)
}}
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teófimo López, billed as Winner Takes All, was a unification professional boxing match contested between WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and IBF lightweight champion, Teófimo López. The bout took place on October 17, 2020, at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Paradise, Nevada. López defeated Lomachenko via unanimous decision (UD) with the judges' scorecards reading 119–109, 117–111, and 116–112.
Background
López' scored a second-round technical knockout victory against Richard Commey to capture the IBF lightweight title on December 14, 2019. In the same month, Lomachenko announced there was an agreement to face the newly crowned champion in a unification bout in April, saying, "On paper, there is an agreement that the match is going to happen, and it's going to happen in April. However, they have not yet established a date. This fight is happening in April."{{Cite web|last=Garcia|first=Aragon|date=December 23, 2019|title=Vasyl Lomachenko has "agreement" on paper for Teofimo Lopez fight in April ⋆ Boxing News 24|url=https://www.boxingnews24.com/2019/12/vasyl-lomachenko-has-agreement-on-paper-for-teofimo-lopez-fight-in-april/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=September 23, 2020|website=Boxing News 24|language=en-US}} On February 8, López hinted at a date and location for the fight on Twitter, with lyrics from the song "New York, New York", posting, "May 30th. Start spreadin' the news, I'm leaving today, I want to be a part of it. PP_?".{{Cite web|last=Compton|first=Tim|date=February 8, 2020|title=Teofimo Lopez Hints Vasily Lomachenko Fight Will Be On May 30 In New York On PPV — Boxing News|url=https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/teofimo-lopez-hints-vasily-lomachenko-fight-will-be-on-may-30-in-new-york-on-ppv/142712|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Boxing News 24/7|language=en-US}} The proposed date was eventually scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Lomachenko going back to his native home of Ukraine.{{Cite web|last=Idec|first=Keith|date=March 21, 2020|title=Lopez: Lomachenko Fight Won't Happen May 30; Could Get Delayed Until Fall|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/lopez-lomachenko-fight-happen-30-get-delayed-fall--147752|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=September 23, 2020|website=BoxingScene.com|language=en-us}} Bob Arum, promoter of both fighters, offered each an interim bout to take place in July, which both rejected. Arum stated the new date being looked at would be September.{{Cite web|last=Idec|first=Keith|date=May 19, 2020|title=Arum: Loma, Lopez Turned Down Interim Bouts; Planning Their Fight For September|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/arum-loma-lopez-turned-down-interim-bouts-planning-their-fight-september--148981|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=September 23, 2020|website=BoxingScene.com|language=en-us}} After October was chosen as a new date, the fight appeared to be in jeopardy due to a pay dispute from López, who was unhappy with an offer of $1.25m while Lomachenko was set to earn in excess of $3.5m. With López' manager, David McWater explaining, "We think that [Lomachenko] probably deserves more money, but not three times as much. We’re hoping that there is enough impetus to get this fight done, and Top Rank will come back and talk to us".{{Cite web|last=Akopyan|first=Manouk|date=August 8, 2020|title=Lopez Manager: Very Little Effort From Top Rank To Get Lomachenko Fight Done|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/lopez-manager-very-little-effort-from-top-rank-get-lomachenko-fight-done--150770|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=September 23, 2020|website=BoxingScene.com|language=en-us}} On September 8, after weeks of difficult negotiations, the bout was finally announced for October 17, with the venue set for the Top Rank Bubble, located at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Paradise, Nevada.{{Cite web|last=Donovan|first=Jake|date=September 8, 2020|title=Lomachenko-Lopez World Lightweight Championship Set, October 17 In Las Vegas|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-lopez-world-lightweight-championship-set-october-17-las-vegas--151571|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=September 23, 2020|website=BoxingScene.com|language=en-us}}
The fight
López defeated Lomachenko via unanimous decision with scores of 116–112, 119–109 and 117–111.{{cite web |title=Teofimo Lopez vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko - Official Scorecards |url=https://www.boxingscene.com/teofimo-lopez-vs-vasiliy-lomachenko-official-scorecards--152554 |website=Boxing Scene |accessdate=23 October 2020}} Judge Julie Lederman's scorecard of 119–109, giving Lomachenko only a single round, received significant controversy.{{cite web |last1=Esco |first1=Wil |title=Vasiliy Lomachenko's manager takes issue with Lederman scorecard in Teofimo Lopez fight |url=https://www.badlefthook.com/2020/10/21/21527883/vasiliy-lomachenkos-manager-takes-issue-with-lederman-scorecard-in-teofimo-lopez-fight |website=Bad Left Hook |date=October 21, 2020 |accessdate=23 October 2020}} The fight started off with López finding his jab and going to the body to slow down his opponent. Lomachenko threw fewer punches in the first seven rounds, allowing López to control most of the first half of the fight. In the second half, Lomachenko started coming out more offensively, landing more punches. In the final round, López landed 50 of 98 punches thrown (51%), the highest ever in a round for an opponent Lomachenko has faced. CompuBox stats showed López was the busier of the two, landing 183 of 659 thrown (28%), while Lomachenko was more accurate landing 141 of 321 thrown (44%). López outlanded Lomachenko in 8 of the 12 rounds.{{cite web |title=CompuBox Punch Stats - Boxing News |url=https://www.boxingscene.com/teofimo-lopez-vs-vasiliy-lomachenko-compubox-punch-stats--152555 |website=Boxing Scene |accessdate=23 October 2020}}
Aftermath
=Viewership=
The fight drew about {{nowrap|4.2 million}} viewers in the United States. When it aired live on television, it drew an average of 2,729,000 viewers and a peak of 2,898,000 viewers. On the ESPN app and ESPN+, the fight drew nearly {{nowrap|1.5 million}} viewers.{{cite news |title=Lomachenko-Lopez received over 4 million viewers over ESPN platforms on Saturday |url=https://www.ringtv.com/611864-lomachenko-lopez-received-over-4-million-viewers-over-espn-platforms-on-saturday/ |accessdate=9 November 2020 |work=The Ring |date=22 October 2020}}
Fight card
Confirmed bouts:{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/813487|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}
| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 85%;"
! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Weight Class ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" | ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Results ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" | ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Method ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Round ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Time ! style="background:#e6e8fa; color:#000; text-align:center;" |Notes |
| Lightweight
|{{flagicon|US}} Teófimo López (c) |def. |{{flagicon|UKR}} Vasiliy Lomachenko (c) |UD |12 | |{{ref|Lomachenko vs. López|Note 1}} |
| Junior welterweight
|{{flagicon|US}} Arnold Barboza Jr. |def. |{{flagicon|US}} Alex Saucedo |UD |10 | |{{ref|Barboza Jr. vs. Saucedo|Note 2}} |
| Super middleweight
|{{flagicon|US}} Edgar Berlanga |def. |{{flagicon|US}} Lanell Bellows |TKO |1/8 |1:19 | |
| Welterweight
|{{flagicon|PUR}} Josue Vargas |def. |{{flagicon|USA}} Kendo Castaneda |UD |10 | | |
| Super Featherweight
|{{flagicon|MEX}} Enrique Vivas |def. |{{flagicon|PHI}} John Vincent Moralde |TKO |1 (8) |1:16 | |
| Welterweight
|{{flagicon|USA}} Quinton Randall |def. |{{flagicon|PUR}} Jan Carlos Rivera |UD |6 | | |
| Welterweight
|{{flagicon|USA}} Jahi Tucker |def. |{{flagicon|USA}} Charles Garner |UD |4 | | |
{{note|Lomachenko vs. López|Note 1|For Unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, The Ring, and lineal lightweight titles}}
{{note|Barboza Jr. vs. Saucedo|Note 2|For vacant WBO International junior welterweight title}}
Broadcasting
The fight was televised live on ESPN and streamed live on ESPN+ for the U.S. (in both English and Spanish languages) viewers only.
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. Luke Campbell}}
{{s-ttl | title=Vasiliy Lomachenko's bouts |years=October 17, 2020}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. Masayoshi Nakatani}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. Richard Commey}}
{{s-ttl | title=Teófimo López's bouts |years=October 17, 2020}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. George Kambosos Jr.}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef
| before = Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = The Ring Upset of the Year
| years = 2020
}}
{{s-aft
| after=Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos Jr.
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Vasiliy Lomachenko}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lomachenko, López}}
Category:2020 in sports in Nevada
Category:October 2020 sports events in the United States
Category:Boxing matches in the Las Vegas Valley