Is Lopez Mentally Ready to Take On Richardson Hitchins?
According to WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (21-1, 13 KO’s), he is making arrangements for his next duel. If all goes as planned, Lopez will dance with the recently crowned IBF 140-pound champion Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KO’s). Given the rather turbulent patch of life that The Takeover is presently navigating, this is a rather dangerous fight.
From top to bottom, Lopez is undergoing grand upheaval. To begin, he is currently in a nasty separation from his longtime promoters at Top Rank. He is also busting up with his wife which, judging by his social media posts, he is not coping with the best. The Takeover’s recent insistence on chasing prizefights by race-baiting has made his public persona as unpopular as ever.
Even worse, in the ring Lopez has remained a very unreliable commodity. In fact, it’s literally been years since The Takeover turned in back-to-back sensational performances.
ACT TWO OR FINAL CURTAIN CALL?
Without question, in almost every regard, all the serious pressure is on Lopez’s shoulders. Sure, Hitchins is a decorated amateur, fast-rising professional fighter and newly established world champion. Even with all this being said however, like it or not, Hitchins is still rather green among the professional elites. The same cannot be said of The Takeover. Lopez is accustomed to the bright lights, media obligations and familiarized himself with many deadly tricks of the trade that Hitchins has yet to encounter.
This is why they fight the fights, though. Hitchins has worked his way to this point and is a champion himself. Thus far, the Brooklyn native has demonstrated an impressive amount of skill in the ring. As Hitchins’ confidence continues to crest, now could be the perfect time to catch an unsure, vulnerable Teofimo Lopez.
As mentioned earlier, Lopez is trying with all his might to escape from his contract with Top Rank. This is precisely why he can’t afford to look like a shot fighter just before re-entering the market as a free agent. If however, the same Lopez who fought Sandor Martin and Steve Claggett shows up, The Takeover is going to go home without his belt.
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