Stephen Edwards Breaks Down Teofimo Lopez’s 140 Limits

Why His Reach and Stance Work Against Him

Teofimo Lopez’s frame defines his limits at 140. Stephen Edwards says his stance and reach make it difficult to press bigger junior welterweights.

Edwards laid it out in his mailbag at BoxingScene.

“He fights in a bladed shoulder roll like stance,” Edwards said. “That particular stance doesn’t really cut the ring off, but that stance can stalk an opponent with a jab, ala Bob Foster or Tommy Hearns.”

A bladed stance keeps Lopez narrow. Lead shoulder high, rear hand loaded. It is built for counters and straight rights down the pipe. It is not built for stepping across a ring and trapping a mover on the ropes. Cutting off the ring takes wider steps, a firmer base, and a jab that pins a man in place.

At lightweight, Lopez could hold center ring and dictate range. He stepped around lead feet and fired sharp combinations when opponents tried to pivot out. Against Vasiliy Lomachenko, he set the pace early and kept the fight where he wanted it.

At 140, the measurements change.

“The issue for Teo is, he’s short with a 68-inch reach,” Edwards said. “He doesn’t have a commanding jab.”

That is the core of it  Lopez’s jab scores, but it does not consistently drive larger fighters backward. So when he presses, he ends up reaching. He falls in behind shots. Taller opponents slide off and punch over the top. Instead of closing distance under control, he gets drawn into spots where he has to win exchanges clean.

The pattern has shown up more than once. When a fighter stands in front of him, Lopez looks sharp and dangerous. When a fighter circles and keeps him at the end of a longer jab, the rounds get tight and the adjustments stall.

At junior welterweight, Lopez will have to lean harder on timing, counters, and clean combinations off resets. If he tries to apply steady pressure without a jab that commands space, he will keep running into the same wall.