Lopez is the only Taekwondo competitor in history to have won five World Championships. To be more specific, he has a winning streak in the Welterweight division’s Championship championship. Lopez is, after Hadi Saei, the most titled champion in the world of Taekwondo.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Steven López |
| Date of Birth | November 9, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Nicaragua, Republic of Nicaragua |
| Nick Name | None |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Age | 43 years old (as of July 2021) |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Julio López |
| Mother’s Name | Ondina Lopez |
| Siblings | Two brothers, Jean López, Mark López A sister, Diana López |
| Education | I.H. Kempner High School |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Profession | Taekwondo competitor |
| Affiliation | World Taekwondo Federation |
| Coach | Jean López |
| Olympic titles | 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) & 2008(Beijing) |
| Taekwondo world championships | 2001 (Jeju), 2003 (Garmisch), 2005 (Madrid), 2007 (Beijing), & 2009 (Copenhagen) |
| Net Worth | $4 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | YosooPack Kick Pad, RDX TKD Chest Guard |
| Last Update | June, 2022 |
What is the Net Worth of Steven Lopez?
Steven Lopez’s net worth is believed to be approximately $4 million as of today.
Body Dimensions
Steven Lopez is a decorated athlete who also happens to be a hottie. Lopez, for example, has black hair that has been styled short, dark eyes, and pale skin.
He was named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People.
Lopez is also 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) tall and weighs 185 lb, according to his physical stature (84 kg).
He has a toned, muscled body that he maintains by training 11 to 12 times a week.
Taekwondo workouts are combined with strength and cardio in his training. Similarly, he follows a strict diet consisting primarily of fruits and vegetables in order to maximize the antioxidant benefits.
His favorite post-workout snack is Greek yogurt, which he eats as part of his overall eating plan.
Early Years of Steven Lopez
Lopez was born to Ondina Lopez and Julio Lopez on November 9, 1978, under the sign of Scorpio.
Furthermore, one of the four children is his native Nicaragua, the Republic of Nicaragua. Two brothers, Jean and Mark López, and a sister, Diana López, are his siblings.
Until the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, his father worked for dictator Anastasio Somoza.
As a result, he took every job that came his way in order to support his family. The Lopez family then relocated to New York in 1982.
Education
Lopez has been interested in athletics since he was five years old. When Lopez was little, his father, Julio, was a big fan of Bruce Lee and encouraged him to learn the martial arts.
Julio and his other son, Jean Lopez, initially trained Steven Taekwondo in his garage.
Steven didn’t have any major issues later on because of his early exposure to the sport.
He went on to I.H. Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas, to further his education. Lopez attended Kempner High School and graduated in 1997.
He had held the title of “most likely to succeed” throughout his high school career. He was also a member of the National Honor Society at the time.
Career of Steven Lopez
Lopez has fought in a total of 146 documented fights as of today’s date, winning 115 of them. He has 78.8% of the 530 hitpoints dispersed and 344 hitpoints collected throughout bouts.
Lopez began competing in high-profile competitions when he was still in his adolescent years.
He had competed in the WTF World Junior Championships and Pan Am Games in 1996, the WTF World Cup in 1997, and the Pan Am Games again in 1998, all while displaying his combat talents.
As a result, Lopez made no mistake in skipping taekwondo when it was initially included to the Olympics in 2000. Steven Lopez participated in Sydney in the lightweight event (68kg). On the mats of Sydney’s State Sports Centre, it gave the 2000 Olympics a close victory over Sin Joon-Sik (KOR). Steven and Jean López became the first brothers to compete in the Olympic Games after that.
As a result, he now holds the distinction of being one of the first two Olympic taekwondo champions. Lopez won the 2001 Lightweight Taekwondo World Championship the next year.
Not to mention his subsequent triumph in the Welterweight Taekwondo World Championship in 2003.
Lopez went on to win the Welterweight Taekwondo World Championship three more times in 2005, 2007, and 2009.
Achievements of Steven Lopez
Lopez is without a doubt the most decorated taekwondo competitor ever. Lopez, dubbed the “King of Taekwondo,” has never shied away from his passion for the discipline and can often be found tutoring it.
Despite such accolades, Lopez has never reached the top of the podium in his career. Lopez’s first in the 2012 London Games was due to an ankle ailment, and he had it in one of his off-podium moments. There was also his loss to Oussama Queslati of Tunisia, which brought a stop to his journey.
“I’m proud of being here. I’m proud of the consistency, and I’m proud of persevering through a lot of injuries. Being able to be here still, obviously, that wasn’t the ultimate goal, but I am proud that I was able to make the team in a full-contact sport.”
-Steven Lopez
Medals and Highlights of Steven Lopez
- 2015 Grand Prix: BRONZE
- 2015 Pan American Games: BRONZE
- 2014 Grand Prix: SILVER
- 2014 USA Open: Gold
- 2013 Argentina Open: Gold
- 2009 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): Gold
- 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: BRONZE
- 2007 World Taekwondo Championships (Welter): Gold
- 2007 Sr. National Team Trials (Welter): 1st
- 2005 U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Month (April)
- 2004 Athens Summer Olympics: Silver
- 2004 US Olympic Team Trials: Gold
- 2003 World Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 2003 World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament: Bronze
- Pan American Games: Gold (2003)
- 2002 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: Bronze
- 2002 Pan American Games: Gold
- 2001 World Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics: Gold
- 1999 Pan American Games: Gold
- 1999 Pan American Regional Olympic Qualifier: Gold
- 1998 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: Bronze
- 1998 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 1997 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 1996 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 1996 World Junior Taekwondo Championships: Gold
- 1995 Pan American Taekwondo Championships: Silver
- 1994 World Cup Taekwondo Championships: Bronze
- 1993 Jr. Olympic: Bronze
Personal Life of Steven Lopez
Aside from his work life, Lopez keeps his personal life, romances, and dating under wraps. It appears that there has been no update on who he has dated or is dating.
In terms of dating, Steven Lopez was a contestant on Fox’s dating show The Choice.
He appeared with three bachelor celebrities during that time: Rob Kardashian, Finesse Mitchell (actor/comedian), and Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots tight end).
The girls would ask them out on a date as the story progressed. By the end, Steven had picked Angelica, a girl who enjoyed volunteering and cooking.
Lopez is a devout Roman Catholic who regularly attends St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Texas.
Aside from these appearances, Steven has also appeared on the Ellen Show and Oprah. Not only that, but he and his brothers wrote a book called ‘Family Power’ in 2009 about their difficult upbringing.
| Instagram handle | @stevenlopeztkd |
| Twitter handle | @StevenLopezTkd |
Sexual Assault and a Lifetime Ban for Steven Lopez
Everything is subject to change! Believe me when I say that rumors concerning the famous player Steven Lopez is circulating in the Taekwondo world. However, on this note and at this moment, it’s a completely different piece of news.
Lopez, for example, held a long-kept secret for more than a decade. Lopez has been found guilty of abusing his power by sexually assaulting girls, in violation of sport’s regulations and moral ideals.
Furthermore, the action was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver by a total of six girls, not just one or two. Apparently, the problem is much bigger than just sexual assault and human trafficking.
According to some lawyers, Steven Lopez and his older brother, Jean, have abused not just a few ladies, but over 29 of them.
To elaborate, the females originally brought this claim to light in 2017, when they spoke out about the act. As a result, Steven Lopez and his buddies drugged Audrey-Ann LeBlanc and Amber Means, then gang-raped her.
Following that, Mandy Meloon told about how Lopez abused her when she was 16 years old during the 2006 tournament.
Kay Poe and Gabriela Joslin, on the other hand, have come forward with identical allegations against Steven Lopez.
Heidi Gilbert also claimed to be in the same circumstance as Jean Lopez, claiming to be in a consenting relationship at the age of 17. Jean, on the other hand, was forcing him on her, and the next day, he pretended he didn’t know anything.
Result
Lopez has yet to face any criminal charges. For many years, the lawsuits and complaints, as well as the outcomes, were investigated. As a result, Jean and Steven Lopez were barred from participating in games and other activities until their bans were lifted, Jean’s in 2019 and Steven’s in 2018.
They have, however, disputed all of the charges and maintained that they were not true. As a result, Steven had filed an appeal and requested arbitration.
“I’ve never been inappropriate with anyone. I’ve never — nothing, nothing at all. Nothing like that. Nothing close to that.”
-Steven Lopez
Following that, they were “permanently ineligible” for future competition, according to reports.
“I’ve never been inappropriate with Heidi. I can’t say anything negative about her. She was my athlete. I was her coach, but I’ve never been inappropriate with her.”
-Jean Lopez
The Victim’s Own Words
“He said something like, ‘It’s okay,’ and began to kiss me and pushed me back onto the bed.”
-Audrey-Ann LeBlanc
“I started feeling really bad and felt so disgusting. Then, I was a f—— disaster. I had to get therapy, and I remember being a little bit suicidal. My situation was a little different. I had to quit the sport I loved because I was molested.”
-Heidi Gilbert
“I began to feel quite ill and nasty. Then I turned into a f—— disaster. I had to go to counseling, and I recall feeling suicidal at the time. My circumstances were a little different. Because I was abused, I had to leave the sport I loved.”
-Heidi Gilbert is a writer who lives in the United States.
“You are completely trapped. I had no option and was stuck. Also, I didn’t know about calling the cops. I definitely did not want to piss off my dad and was never taught anything about sex or normal stuff. Thus, I always knew it wasn’t right.”
-Mandy Meloon
FAQs
What is Steven Lopez’s net worth?
Steven Lopez has a net worth of roughly $4 million USD.
When did Steven Lopez’s ban expire?
In 2018, Steven Lopez’s ban was revoked.
