Pound-for-pound star Teofimo Lopez is set to defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against the unheralded Steve Claggett at the James L. Knight Center in Miami Beach on June 29. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.
Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) is one of the most decorated fighters in the world. The enigmatic boxer-puncher from Brooklyn defeated the great Vasiliy Lomachenko to establish himself as the number one lightweight and later dethroned Josh Taylor to claim super lightweight honours.
WATCH: Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett, exclusively on ESPN+ in the US
By contrast, despite having been a professional for almost 16 years, Claggett’s career has gone under the radar. Unbeaten since 2021, this will be the 35-year-old puncher’s first ever world title bout and he seeks a colossal upset. Can the contender land the go-home punch or is he just out of his depth?
The Sporting News takes a closer look at Lopez’s next challenger.
Who is Steve Claggett?
Claggett was a successful amateur in the Alberta region of Canada and once captured a Golden Gloves championship. After finding himself on the wrong side of the law, he elected to focus on a professional career and turned over in 2008.
Granted no favours in the paid ranks, Claggett struggled to secure meaningful fights and a lucrative deal with a big-name promoter was a pipedream. He did show early promise, going unbeaten in his first 12 fights, but then his form dipped.
A 2011 stoppage loss to journeyman Romeo Jakosalem was a bitter pill to swallow and was followed by an eight-month layoff. Claggett bounced back with four wins, but the setbacks became frequent and blunted his momentum.
A split decision loss to Mathieu Germain in 2021 was something of a turning point. In an unusual move, Claggett sought out the services of Germain’s trainer, Mike Moffa, so that he could work on his own weaknesses.
“I was like, Mike, show me what you did, show me how you beat me,” recalled Claggett in an interview with BoxingScene last year. “I wanted to improve. It’s not about your ego, it’s about the journey. I had to put my ego aside to learn and to take a step up.
“If they knew how to beat me, they knew what I had to work on. It turns out we’re a better team than we were enemies because we’re creating magic in the boxing ring. I’m glad I swallowed my pride.”
Now aligned with Eye of the Tiger Management, Claggett rededicated himself to the sport and has won nine bouts in succession. He’s determined and game, which are required hallmarks in fights at the top level.
With 26 of his 38 wins coming by knockout, he can also hit, so the challenger has a puncher’s chance at the very least.
Steve Claggett record, stats, bio
- Nationality: Canadian
- Born: June 11, 1989
- Height: 5-8
- Reach: 70 inches
- Total fights: 47
- Record: 38-7-2 with 26 wins via knockout
