Career-wise, he might have seen only seven summers in the sport. But it’s been more than enough. Teofimo Lopez has seen the world below while looking down upon it from the heights of boxing. A few months after he turned twenty-three, he became a unified lightweight champion. Three years later, he repeated the feat, becoming a unified champion in the light welterweight division.

It’s not that the journey has been a smooth ride for the Brooklyn-born son of Honduran immigrants. He has faced problems both within and without the ring. However, the 26-year-old, with uncapped confidence in his prowess, would charge back with more vigor to deny the naysayers any space. As he sets off for the first title defense on February 8 against Jamaine Ortiz, Teofimo Lopez took time to share some of his innermost thoughts. In particular, he wanted to mention a particular takeaway from his learning through the years.

Teofimo Lopez flags: All up-and-coming boxers, watch out!

‘The Takeover’ had a few words of wisdom for the upcoming generations of boxers and fighters. Suggesting that patience is the crucial skill or virtue necessary for achieving success, Lopez advised that if they wanted to reach the level where he stood, then they must become experts in the art of forbearance. “One piece of advice for the next generation of fighters: If you want to strive to do things like me, you must master the art of patience first!” Said Lopez.

Then he further added that, for the last 16 years, the only thing that appeared in his crosshairs was his dream. Now, after 22 years, he is literally living what he dreamed of. He said, “For 16 years, I did not see anything but a dream. Now, I live that dream 22 years later! #HaveFaith #Inspire.“

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On a similar note, early today he shared another motivational note with followers on Instagram. The post had a clip attached that featured him doing intense upside-down crunches and pull-ups. His message read, “How can one know their limit if one does not push themselves?”

Two years ago, George Kambosos Jr. inflicted the first career loss on Teofimo Lopez. The following year, he moved up to join the light welterweight division. But his performance in the first two bouts in the new weight class, first against Pedro Campa and later against Sandor Martin, only raised questions. However, he outboxed the former undisputed champion, Josh Taylor, when they met on June 10 at New York’s Hulu Center. Thereby, he shut down all the skeptics once and for all.

He has yet to make a return to the ring. Meanwhile, talks of a fight with Ryan Garcia, IBF welterweight champion Subriel Matias, and newly crowned WBC champion Devin Haney popped up in between, only to fizzle out later. A win over Ortiz might have an effect on his next move—whether he pursues other title holders for title unification or decides to move up another division.

“Future Champ in the Making”: Teofimo Lopez Training His Son in Recent Clip Leaves Fans in Awe

Do you agree with what Teofimo Lopez mentioned as an important trait a boxer needs to cultivate? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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