Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett payouts: How much are the boxers making? Estimated salaries reported
Teofimo Lopez is all set to make his highly-anticipated return to the squared circle and notch the second defense of his WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight, aka light welterweight/junior welterweight (140-pound) titles. 'The Takeover' will fight Steve Claggett in the headlining match of a boxing event that'll transpire at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida, USA, on June 29, 2024.
Many regard the 26-year-old Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) as one of the top young stars in professional boxing. Having won world titles in two separate weight classes thus far, he's lately been forging a path toward making an indelible mark at 140 pounds.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs) is a crafty veteran from Canada who'll be eyeing the upset against Lopez. Given Lopez's star power and accolades, the consensus is that he's likely to get paid the bigger share of their fight purse.
Lopez's last two fights came against Josh Taylor and Jamaine Ortiz. He bested Taylor via unanimous decision to capture the WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles in June 2023. 'The Takeover' last defeated Ortiz via unanimous decision in a back-and-forth fight, retaining his WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles in Feb. 2024.
Per ESPN's Mike Coppinger, Lopez bagged around $2.3 million for his match against Taylor. Additionally, as indicated in a report by Marca, heading into his fight against Ortiz, Lopez was expected to secure an even bigger payout.
Lopez was said to be making around $3-4 million for the Ortiz fight. Apparently, multiple sources suggested that 'The Takeover' had a guaranteed pay of $1 million in his deal with ESPN for that fight.
As reported by Sporty Salaries, Teofimo Lopez's average salary in recent fights has been in the $1.2-$2.5 million range. His guaranteed purse for the Jamaine Ortiz fight was reportedly $2.5 million. Entering his fight against Steve Claggett, Lopez's guaranteed purse is reportedly $1.5 million. Lopez's payout could rise to $5 million, provided the pay-per-view sales cross 500k on fight night.
As for Claggett, his guaranteed purse is reportedly $500k, and his cumulative payout could rise to $1-1.5 million if their pay-per-view rakes in over 500k buys.
Teofimo Lopez addresses fight against Steve Claggett
As reported by Top Rank, one of the boxing promotion company's top stars, Teofimo Lopez, is seemingly excited about returning to Miami and fighting Steve Claggett. Lopez implied that after having extensively competed in New York, returning to Florida is akin to a homecoming and that he's feeling incredible energy in the build-up to the fight.
Furthermore, Teofimo Lopez acknowledged his opponent Steve Claggett's toughness and veteran savvy. He highlighted that Claggett knows how to slow the contest down and make opponents compete in his kind of fight. Noting that he anticipates a competitive clash, 'The Takeover' emphasized that he's confident about performing like a champion:
"We're going to have a tough, rugged fighter in Steve Claggett."