Lopez Barely Skates By In Eliminator

It would not be an easy victory, but Teofimo Lopez would survive a twelve-round test against  Masayoshi Nakatani.

Lopez, who is usually dominant against prior opponents, saw a true challenge against Nakatani, with many surprised that Lopez would get a unanimous decision win inside the MGM Grand Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland.

The scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 for Lopez, making him the mandatory challenger to IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey.

After a back and forth opening three rounds, Lopez would begin to press ahead, landing big shots in the middle rounds, but Nakatani would eat the shots while Lopez would dictate the pace just enough to remain undefeated.