And the wonders never cease. Barely had the world finally got a grip on itself, and it finds Teófimo Lopez dancing to peppy numbers scarcely a month after he announced hanging his gloves. Reportedly, in the Puerto Rican City of Arecibo, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) gave out the Light Welterweight belt to the Honduran-American boxer in the presence of a gathering that included many existing and former champions.

Despite being a clear favorite, Josh Taylor remained a mere spectator as ‘The Takeover’ gave him a boxing lesson on June 10. The Brooklyn-born boxer became a champion a second time. But probably, he was waiting for the match to get over to let the cat out of the bag. Lopez announced retiring from boxing and, a few days later, gave up his WBO title, informing Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcarcel, the governing body’s head.

Teófimo Lopez rocking in Puerto Rico

Yesterday, WBO shared a clip of Teófimo Lopez dancing with wild abandon. “Teo having fun in Puerto Rico,” someone shouted in the video with over 300k views. Even ESPN Ringside shared a similar message of him accompanied by Puerto Rican boxer Xander Reyes, “@TeofimoLopez and @XanderZayas had a blast in Puerto Rico this past weekend.” The boxer and his father, Lopez Sr., visited Puerto Rico to receive the WBO title. 

A ceremony that saw the presence of many famous names from the past and the present also included a felicitation for Oscar Collazo, the Mini Flyweight champion from the commonwealth. Thanking the WBO President and the organization, Lopez said, “Thanks to the WBO, Paco (Francisco Valcárcel), to all the champions who are here right now… What can I say? Everything we do is for this title. It is a pleasure to achieve this. Today is a very special day. Thank you, Puerto Rico.”

Shock and awe: What’s next for Teófimo Lopez?

It was a return that took many by surprise. Straight after the loss to George Kambosos Jr., Teófimo Lopez moved to Light Welterweight. Though he managed to pack off Pedro Campa in the seventh round, the Spaniard Sandro Martin took him the distance. So much so that Lopez remained uncertain about his victory till the scores came out. Hence it mandated a convincing performance against the former undisputed champion Josh Taylor. But then, why retire?

Many still believe and hope that retirement remains a short, temporary fixture in Teófimo Lopez’s career. After all, many boxers tested the water outside, only to return for good. Tyson Fury announced his retirement last August and returned by December to defend his title from Derek Chisora. Given his age, Lopez likely has many years of boxing left that could see him face quite a few big names in the sport.

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Like many, do you also suspect Teofimo Lopez will return to the ring soon? Please share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

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