Ring Magazine Poll Of Experts Has Josh Taylor An Overwhelming Favourite To Beat Teofimo Lopez Tonight On ESPN
I don’t know about you, fellow fight fan, but whenever a big fight looms, I almost always find myself checking out the poll of experts the folks at Ring Magazine compile on the website of “The Bible.” Today, we have the 140 pound title fight between defending WBO and Ring Magazine champion Josh Taylor and challenger, former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.
Lots has gone on in the build-up to Saturday’s fight in New York, mostly of the verbal kind, with Lopez really going too far in stating how he wants to “take Josh Taylor’s life.” It may well be that, in light of those utterly disgusting comments from a former champion who should know better, plenty of people – fans, experts, fellow fighters – are hoping Taylor wins the fight, and maybe teaches Teo a lesson or two along the way.
That said, the 20 experts who took part in the Ring poll have surely acted as impartially as possible. But it might come as a shock, to Lopez fans especially, that ALL 20 experts have picked Taylor to get the win. What for some looks like a close fight, maybe even a 50 – 50 affair, is seen as a sure win for Taylor in the eyes of the 20 people who spoke with RingTV.com.
Most of the 20 experts are picking Taylor to win via decision, with some feeling it will be close, maybe a split decision. However, three of these experts feel Taylor might be able to get the stoppage win.
Taylor, 19-0(13) and the older man by seven years at age 32, has predicted a KO win. Lopez, 18-1(13) has said what he has said going into the fight. Is there genuine bad blood between these two, or was Lopez, with his crazy comments, merely trying to do what he was successful in doing, in gaining plenty of headlines?
We will see on fight night. As we will see if all 20 experts who spoke with Ring are correct with their predictions.
The three experts who feel Taylor will stop Lopez are writer Anson Wainwright (he sees a TKO9 win for Taylor), former champ and current ESPN commentator Tim Bradley (who says he thinks Taylor could get a stoppage but he didn’t pick a round), and editor Tom Gray (who goes for a Taylor TKO9 win).
How do YOU see this Saturday’s fight going?
Pick: Taylor has to make do with a points win, this via a pretty wide decision victory.