23-year-old Teofimo Lopez is relatively new to professional boxing. Despite having only four years of experience, he has already held the IBF lightweight title. Furthermore, he holds a 15-0 record and has claimed 12 wins via knockout.

While he still has a long way to go, Lopez Jr. has already alarmed the entire division with his sheer dominance. His upcoming fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko can turn him into a unified lightweight champion. That said, Teofimo Lopez has taken great strides in the sport.

Prior to his upcoming title fight, Lopez Jr. connected with his fans to reveal how he got into the sport. As expected, it is an outcome of his father’s influence. However, there are several other factors that motivated the 23-year-old to take up the gloves.

Teofimo Lopez knew he will be a champion boxer

Speaking with Al Bernstein on his podcast, the IBF champion said that his father introduced him to the sport when he was just three. However, it was much later when he desired to make it his profession.

Speaking about it, Lopez said, “I remember there’s a video there that my father has, I was three years old and he put on some boxing gloves on me and I was punching him in the face”

Read: WATCH: Vasiliy Lomachenko Trains His ‘Eye Muscles’ Ahead of Teofimo Lopez Matchup

He added, “I think around the time when I was anywhere from four on, I didn’t think I would be boxing. I guess at the age of six it ended up coming back to me and ever since that day, that I went to the boxing gym again and started hitting the pads and stuff with the coach, that’s when everything changed.”

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Lopez has been sparring with world champions since his teenage days. His father Lopez Sr. is one of the renowned boxing trainers around. Thus, Teofimo Lopez Jr. has always been close to the sport.

Although he has been training throughout his life, sparring with champions made him realize that he can turn professional too. He said that it was around the time he was 13 or 14 was when he realized his destiny.

Next weekend he will showcase his caliber again when he faces Lomachenko in an important fight for the sport and the division. Thus, the entire world will watch.

Read: Errol Spence Jr. Gets a New Date For His Title Fight Against Danny Garcia