Teofimo Lopez Sr still has eyes on a Josh Taylor fight
In his next in-ring battle, unified lightweight champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (16-0, 12 KO’s) will attempt to thwart George “Ferocious” Kambosos (19-0, 10 KO’s). Let team Lopez tell it, the bout will be easy work and should not go past the third round. If given his choice, the Takeover’s chief second, Teofimo Lopez Sr, would love for his son to next fight undisputed super lightweight champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (18-0, 13 KO’s). This is no true revelation though.
Lopez was quick to call out Taylor after he became undisputed by way of unanimous decision over Jose Carlos Ramirez. Yet, just as it’s no mystery that Team Lopez wanted the bout, it’s an equally well-known fact that Taylor doesn’t want the fight himself. The Lopez clan has proven to be exceptionally adept at practicing selective hearing when they want to. What is a revelation though is Lopez Sr saying he’s been promised a Lopez versus Taylor fight in 2022. If that turns out to be true, then that will be a big announcement!
“We’re going to 140 now and we are chasing Josh Taylor right now. That’s the guy that we want, to break the records of being undisputed, two times. We already broke the record at 135, nobody had ever done it…Of course, it’s going to be made because I already spoke with Bob [Arum of Top Rank]! Bob promised me we will fight him in April! That’s if he doesn’t chicken out and go to 147.”
THE GREAT PRETENDER
When the undisputed super lightweight champion heard about the Takeover’s desire to fight him, he was completely dismissive. On the one hand, he did give Lopez credit as a top fighter. At the same time however, the Tartan Tornado does not honor Lopez’s designation as an undisputed champion. The simple reason for this is because the Takeover is not an undisputed champion. To actually accomplish that task, Lopez would have to defeat WBC world lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (26-0, 15 KO’s).
Sadly, Team Lopez would rather pretend that they are the goods rather than actually being such. Even though he loves saying that he is the undisputed 135-pound champion, the Takeover has already admitted in sideways fashion that this is not the case. In admitting that none of the other sanctioning bodies recognize his status, he unwittingly validated the science of why he is not actually undisputed. Given the main reason that Taylor didn’t want to fight him is because he was not actually undisputed, it becomes very difficult to believe that they were promised this prizefight.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Identical to his son, Teofimo Lopez loves to say both, that they are undisputed and that they are the only lightweights willing to fight. He is acutely erroneous on each point. The issue about undisputed has already been addressed. In terms of no one wanting to fight, that is far from the truth as well. It’s very well documented that Haney was extremely vocal about fighting Lomachenko and the Takeover himself.
Yet, neither have stepped up to the plate. In fact, in his next bout, Lomachenko is opting to face Richard Commey in a non-title fight rather than challenge for the WBC world lightweight title. So, if it’s true that no one wants to fight Lopez, the same is true of Haney. Unfortunately, instead of chasing the very obtainable bout with Haney, Team Lopez will continue on this apparent fool’s errand to dance with Taylor. Regardless of how this somewhat convoluted situation resolves itself, 3kingsboxing will be there to report the news!
By: Bakari Simpson
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