Teofimo Lopez: It’s Not Going the Distance
Similar to everyone else on the planet, IBF world lightweight champion Teofimo “El Brooklyn” Lopez (15-0, 12 KO’s) is adhering to the mandated quarantine guidelines. Although, for Lopez, he is all but too happy to play by the rules due to his own physical reality.
As it turns out, El Brooklyn is asthmatic and therefore would be at greater risk if he contracted the nefarious COVID-19. In a recent interview conducted with Top Rank, the lightweight champion was quite forthcoming on the topic.
“We’re just staying indoors, especially for myself having asthma [I] got to make sure I don’t catch this coronavirus…especially with me with my lungs not being as strong as everyone else’s, even being an athlete and all, that is definitely a danger for me.”
HI-TECH IS STILL THE NEXT TARGET
Along with confining himself to his home, Teofimo Lopez is similar to a crushing amount of fighters who have had fights either postponed or flat-out cancelled. Before COVID-19 mandates restricted the flow of the globe, Lopez was all set to test his might against unified world lightweight champion Vasiliy “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KO’s). Thankfully though, as Lopez assured, the dust-up has merely been delayed and will still take place.
[When questioned if Lomachenko is next after the COVID19 quarantine is over] “Yea, absolutely! That’s what my father always wanted…that’s what we’re trying to, we’re trying to stay on that and make that fight happen and then move up to 140, right after the Loma fight.”
BULLIES STILL WELCOME IN BOXING
While it probably goes without saying, the swiftly rising boxing star has total faith that he will defeat Hi-Tech. Going a step further, Teofimo Lopez believes that by utilizing his punching power and physical strength, he will be able to bully Lomachenko before stopping him.
“Overall I feel that it’s not going to be a quick night, but a good midway type of fight where it’s not going to go all the way. It’s not going to go twelve rounds.”
“…I don’t see it being technical. It’ll be technical at some points and at some points it’s just going to be pretty much me muscling him. You know what I mean, being a bully. And then going back and forth on that and seeing what he can chew on and what he can’t chew on and that’s just about it ”
That’s certainly a tall order. Yet, if El Brooklyn can pull it off, he will definitely have secured the most significant win of his still budding career. Let’s just hope that the fighters along with the rest of the planet can resume our regularly scheduled lives in the very near future.
By: Bakari Simpson
