For a professional boxer, step one of the dream is to become a world champion, and on Friday night May 2nd, the undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr (32-0, 11 KOs) will finally get his chance when he challenges the WBO super-lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs).
The Lopez vs Barboza world title bout is part of the Fatal Fury fight card that features a trio of elite matchups. The action will take place in Times Square, New York, and air live on DAZN pay-per-view.
A native of Long Beach, California, Arnold Barboza Jr made his pro debut back in June 2013 when he defeated Gustavo Lopez via unanimous decision. Barboza would go on to win his next 29 fights.
On the Riyadh Season Latino night card, which took place in November 2024, Arnold Barboza picked up a quality win when he defeated former unified WBO/WBC super-lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez by way of unanimous decision.
Three months later, Barboza earned a split-decision victory over highly ranked 140-pound contender Jack Catterall. With the victory, Barboza won the vacant WBO Interim super-lightweight title.
Now the 33-year-old Arnold Barboza will have the opportunity to make one of his dreams become a reality when he faces the reigning WBO world champion. Barboza is a talented boxer whose skill set and demeanor could give the defending champion a case of deja vu.
After having a brilliant performance in his unanimous decision victory over the then-unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, Teofimo Lopez went into his fight against George Kambosos Jr as a 13-1 favorite.
In the opening round, George Kambosos scored a surprising knockdown, but Lopez returned the favor by dropping Kambosos in the 10th. At the conclusion of a highly competitive 12-round contest, George Kambosos Jr won by way of split decision.
Nearly four years later, Arnold Barboza is capable of giving Teofimo Lopez the same problem he ran into back in 2021. Much like Kambosos, Barboza is a skilled fighter who is confident, hungry, and extremely determined.
In addition to all the other similarities to the previous man who defeated Lopez, Barboza is also going into Teofimo’s home territory as an underdog who is participating in his first world title bout.
During their initial faceoff, Arnold Barboza knocked Teofimo Lopez’s hat off his head, and Lopez responded by trying to slap Barboza in the face. The animosity between the two is eerily similar to the animosity between Lopez and Kambosos back in 2021.
Arnold Barboza Jr has gone on record stating he’s hungry and he’s ready to eat. On Friday night, he will have a chance to suppress his appetite by stepping in the ring and making his world title dream become a reality.
Last Updated on 05/01/2025
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