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OXON HILL, MD – JULY 19: Teofimo Lopez in his corner after the tenth round of his lightweight IBF World Title Elimination fight against Masayoshi Nakatani (not pictured) at The Theater at MGM National Harbor on July 19, 2019 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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OXON HILL, MD – JULY 19: Teofimo Lopez in his corner after the tenth round of his lightweight IBF World Title Elimination fight against Masayoshi Nakatani (not pictured) at The Theater at MGM National Harbor on July 19, 2019 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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OXON HILL, MD – JULY 19: Teofimo Lopez in his corner after the tenth round of his lightweight IBF World Title Elimination fight against Masayoshi Nakatani (not pictured) at The Theater at MGM National Harbor on July 19, 2019 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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OXON HILL, MD – JULY 19: Teofimo Lopez in his corner after the tenth round of his lightweight IBF World Title Elimination fight against Masayoshi Nakatani (not pictured) at The Theater at MGM National Harbor on July 19, 2019 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
New lightweight king Teofimo Lopez has become a bonafide star in the division ever since he beat Vasyl Lomachenko. Ever since then, media attention, fame, and global superstardom have become a part of Lopez’s daily life. However, he has struggled a lot to get to the top.
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Lopez is unbeaten in the professional scene and is the youngest fighter in the sport’s history to hold all four belts. However, along the way, Lopez has battled many emotional and physical issues. Some even life-threatening, like his asthma.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 17: In this handout image provided by Top Rank, Teofimo Lopez Jr celebrates after defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko (not pictured) in their Lightweight World Title bout at MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center on October 17, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)
The 16-0 boxer revealed he had asthma when he spoke to ESPN before his fight against Vasyl Lomachenko. He said, “I’ve been having asthma since I was six years old. And I almost died three times because of it. I was either 10 or 11 years old and I got an asthma attack.”
‘The Takeover’ then explained, “Really bad, really severe… to the point where I had to go to the ICU for that whole week and they told my parents that my oxygen level was too low. They said if I didn’t bring it up, I was going to pass away.”
READ MORE: Who Is Teofimo Lopez Signed To?: Promoter and Manager
Teofimo Lopez and asthma: A continuous battle
The comments from Lopez not only revealed his condition but also confirmed how seriously it has affected him in the past. Considering the nerves and pressure involved in boxing, it shows how much Lopez has to battle before every fight.
And the undefeated champion does not hide this either. Lopez sometimes posts videos of him training after using his inhaler. The knowledge of his condition only increases the value of his achievements in the sport.
More Than ASTHMA! @AAFANational #TheTakeover #AsthmaChampion pic.twitter.com/VWtXynQIAC
— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) January 20, 2021
To become a world champion in such a physically demanding sport like boxing is a massive deal. Furthermore, to do it with such a severe case of asthma proves how dedicated ‘The Takeover’ is. And it has paid off for the 23-year-old, who now has the world at his feet.
What do you think about Teofimo Lopez and his battle with asthma? Do you think that increases the value of his boxing achievements?
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