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Emiliano Vargas On A Collision Course With Teofimo Lopez?

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 8:28 PM ET

Emiliano Vargas believes his time is coming and soon. The undefeated 21 year-old junior welterweight prospect says he expects to be ready for a 140-pound world title shot within his next three or four fights.

And if that opportunity comes against current WBO and The Ring champion Teofimo Lopez? Vargas is more than willing.

“Teo’s an amazing fighter,” Vargas said after his stunning first-round knockout of Alexander Espinoza on Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. “I respect him a lot, but if he’s gonna stay at 140 pounds, that’s on him. I have a great relationship with him. It’s just business at the end of the day.”

Vargas (15-0, 13 KOs) and Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) have trained together in Las Vegas and share mutual respect. But Vargas, whose confidence matches his explosive power, is clearly ready to carve out his own path even if it crosses Lopez’s.

Lopez, who turns 28 this week, has already accomplished what many fighters never do. He unified the lightweight division in 2020 with a landmark victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko, then became a two-division champion by outboxing Josh Taylor for the junior welterweight crown in June 2023.

Emiliano Vargas has put the super-lightweight division on notice pic.twitter.com/uIUeC6Es5g

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 27, 2025

New generation ascending

Vargas is following a similar trajectory to his father and trainer, Fernando Vargas, who became a world champion at age 21. Emiliano believes he’s part of a generational shift in boxing.

“I’m the new era of boxing,” Vargas said. “All my favorite fighters are 30, 36, 28. So, there’s a lot of new stars coming up, and I’m definitely one of them.”

While Lopez may be focused on big-money fights with elite opponents closer to his level of experience, Vargas is making his case and doing it emphatically. His one punch knockout of Espinoza (20-4-1, 9 KOs) served notice that he’s not just a rising name — he’s a real threat.

“I respect Teo 120 percent,” Vargas emphasized. “I don’t want a clip to come up and you guys turn it around like I’m trashing Teo. I got nothing but love and respect for him. But however the deck falls, it falls.

“And I believe this isn’t cocky every fighter who became world champion said the same thing. I believe it wholeheartedly. It’s definitely gonna happen.”

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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