Josh Taylor Believes Teofimo Lopez Is Biting Off More Than He Can Chew
Reigning WBO junior welterweight champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) is days away from his June 10 showdown against Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Taylor is ready to take care of Lopez and feels that losing is not an option.
The last time fans saw Taylor in the ring was in February 2022, when he defended the then-undisputed 140-pound title with a disputed split-decision victory over bitter rival Jack Catterall. After vacating three of the four world titles at 140 and recovering from a foot injury, The Tartan Tornado is healthy, refreshed, and hungry to get back into the ring.
FAR FROM IMPRESSED
His upcoming challenger is the former unified lightweight champion and a talented fighter with power in both hands. Speaking to Top Rank Boxing, the pride of Edinburgh, Scotland gave Lopez his respect. But while assessing his style, Taylor predicts that he will brutally handle The Takeover.
“I got the bigger guns. He still makes the same mistakes he does when he was an amateur . . . Yes, I give him credit. He beat (Vasyl) Lomachenko. But in my opinion, Lomachenko’s a featherweight with one arm. I’m a full-fledged light welterweight, and when he comes up against me, he comes unstuck and goes out on his back in a stretcher.”
SERIOUS BUSINESS
Lopez has stated that he wants to “kill Taylor” during pre-fight interviews. But the defending champion is unfazed and feels that the trash-talk coming from Lopez is a sign of insecurity and mental weakness. The Scot is more focused on doing what he has to do once the bell rings. He’s ready to perform on June 10 in a battle that he says is of the utmost importance.
“If this fight goes wrong or I get the wrong decision, then it’s back to the drawing board for me, and my plans I’ve got to become a two-weight world champion go way back . . . I got plans and ambitions that I want to do.”
It’s not a game for The Tartan Tornado. For him, Lopez is the catalyst to the next stage of his professional career. Taylor sees himself as one of the elite fighters in boxing and on a mission to show his greatness in front of the big stage at MSG.
