Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez on June 9

On June 9 (June 10 in the UK), the WBO Super Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor will defend his belt against Teofimo Lopez, at the Hulu Theater, in Madison Square Garden, New York. US fight fans will be able to watch the fight live, for which the ring walk begins around 11 pm ET, on ESPN+, whereas UK fans will be able to follow it on Sky Sports at around 4 am.

In 2021, Taylor, who hails from Prestonpans, Scotland, and is nicknamed the “Tartan Tornado,” unified the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 140 lb titles when he beat Jose Ramirez. His opponent, Lopez, who hails from Brooklyn and is nicknamed “The Takeover,” became the number one contender when he beat Vasiliy Lomachenko and unified three titles. A surprise defeat by George Kombosos saw him lose the belts.

Building up to the fight

Taylor took the chance to criticize Lopez’s mentally when the latter failed to show at Shakur Stevenson’s fight to announce the contest. The Scotsman suggested that, mentally, the American was a little bit fragile and weak.

Lopez caused controversy in a recent interview by, reportedly, stating that one of the things he loved about boxing was that he could kill a guy and get away with it. One person to who those got back to was the Tartan Tornado, who tweeted that he would decapitate Lopez.

The fight has become something of a grudge match, as there has been trash talk from Lopez towards Taylor for years. The twenty-five year old American has said in the past he’d knock out the Scotsman. The champion will be looking forward to getting into the ring and straightening out Lopez.

Who will win?

Taylor believes the fight won’t go the distance and that he’ll knock out the American early. Although some sportsbooks have not released odds yet, others make Taylor the favorite and have given him around -148 on the betting lines. Taylor’s record, however, could influence them further on the night of the fight, and betting punters could see these figures move to -200 to -280.

Of course, this makes Lopez the underdog. He receives around +116. Despite being a powerful puncher, sportsbooks don’t see this power quite translating to super lightweight from lightweight.

Taylor’s record and fighting style

Taylor is 32 years old and holds a record of 19-0, with 13 wins by knockout. He has the advantage of an extra two inches in height at 5’10” and also half an inch in reach at 69”. “The Takeover,” however, may try to use his greater youth to his advantage.

The “Tartan Tornado” earned his nickname because of his aggressive style and uses a southpaw stance and a range of hooks and uppercuts that keep his opponents guessing. He has a speedy jab — and throws a variety of jabs, including double jabs, jabs to the body and leaping jabs — impressive technical skills, vast ring IQ and applies an intensity inside and outside of the ring that can overwhelm opponents.

The champion is also an aggressive counterpuncher, which is something opponents overlook. He’ll stand mostly mid to close range right in front of the other boxer, forcing them into an exchange that produces counterpunch opportunities.

Lopez will also have to be wary of Taylor fighting on the inside. The Scotsman is savage, especially when he goes to the body. Rather than smother opponents, however, he leaves just enough space to throw power shots. He also throws uppercuts and other punches on the inside to unsettle opponents.

Lopez’s record and fighting style

Lopez boasts a record of 18-1 and has a power and explosiveness that could really trouble Taylor, but if he’s to beat the Scotsman, he’ll have to produce the career-boosting form that saw him emerge victorious over Lomachenko. Timing his hook and other power shots at the right moment will be crucial, but the American must be careful not to rely too heavily on his power. At his best, he, like Taylor, is one of the smartest and most technical boxers out there and should call upon his skills in these departments as well.

Taylor believes his size and experience give him an edge. However, he struggled to land clean shots in his fight against Jack Cattrall, which he won controversially. Lopez may keep this in mind and, drawing on his technical smarts, use more footwork and stay nimble, making life more difficult for the champion.

When the two go head to head in the ring in June, it’s going to be an explosive clash. Remarks have been made over the years, but the talking will stop and the two will get down to business. Sportsbooks expect Taylor to keep his belt, but don’t rule out Lopez. He could cause an upset.