Teofimo Lopez, the newly crowned two-division champion, has surprised the world by announcing his retirement from boxing at the age of 25, just days after his dominant defeat over Josh Taylor. Lopez, who also boasts a win against Vasyl Lomachenko, first shared the news later confirming his decision.

“Blood, sweat and tears, I’ve done for the sport. At a young age, at 25 years young, and the first male really to become a two-time undisputed world champion in a four-belt era,” Lopez stated as reason for his retirement.

Though many have been left scratching their heads in disbelief over the announcement, Lopez is content with his decision. His loss to George Kambosos, and subsequent bounce-back, landing him two straight wins to earn the fight with Taylor, fuelled his retirement decision. Lopez is now looking to shift his focus towards other endeavors outside the boxing arena.

While Lopez’s next moves are yet to be seen, and his retirement not yet a binding one, skeptics are uncertain whether such a prestigious record will keep the young fighter out of the ring for good. Should he remain retired, Lopez will conclude his career with 19 wins and just one loss, with 13 of those victories landed by knockout.

It has been suggested that his retirement will attract him to other ventures, though fans of the sport are hoping to see him return for a potentially lucrative fight against some of boxing’s elite, including Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, or even a possible rematch with Lomachenko.