Teofimo Lopez Suggest Bill Haney is Pimping his Son Devin
As professionals, WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (19-1, 13 KO’s) and WBC 140-pound champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KO’s) have circled one another for years. In fact, their so-far-unrealized feud has extended over two divisions. Some would say it even stretches back to the amateurs. Despite this lengthy history, and the significant magnitude of the potential prizefight, it has never been pieced together. And let Lopez tell it, this may have a great deal to do with Bill Haney.
In a recent sit down with DAZN, Lopez explained that he believed that he’d done everything in his power to make a fight with Team Haney. When questioned about his desire to face The Dream now, The Takeover remained quite elusive. After being needled on the subject further, Lopez switched the attention to Bill Haney, Devin’s father, trainer and manager.
“Bill Haney don’t care for his son, I’ll tell you that right now! He don’t care for his son, he don’t care for Devin Haney like that, it’s just a money pit. It’s just to make more money. I mean, pimping ain’t easy! I’m a pimp myself, I be pimping the media and the game, but I love everybody and I’m not doing it in disrespect.”
SHOW US THE MATH
If he was serious about this rather vulgar charge, then it’s quite frankly a very odd statement. Love him or hate him, Devin Haney and his team have forged quite the career. After constructing his versatile style during his early career in Mexico, The Dream returned to the states as a serious force.
Now, Haney is a two-division champion, former undisputed lightweight champion, a proven paper view draw and is a boxing free agent. Going a step further, The Dream is close to establishing himself as a true “global” champion having fought all throughout the United States, Mexico, Australia twice and has serious aspirations to compete in Dubai and potentially the UK. If Bill Haney has exploited his son, then without question countless fighters would love to be used in this manner!
Some may argue that this accusation is simply a healthy measure of jealousy oozing out of Lopez. This is due to him having suffered very public rough patches with his own father and trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr.. Not only has The Takeover questioned his professional and personal relationship with his father and his own worth as a fighter, he’s even pondered suicide.
WHO GOT THE FIRST STONE?
In the end, when it comes to Teofimo Lopez, you really can’t accept anything on surface value. The Takeover is on record saying he was essentially playing games when he announced his recent retirement, even though few believed it anyway. Furthermore, he loves to insist that he is a two-time undisputed champion when this is complete nonsense.
Also, despite his claims to have done his best to make a deal with The Dream, Team Lopez are on public record for asking the seemingly absurd guarantees of, first, ten, then twenty million dollars. This is all said to say, some manner of discretion should be used whenever Lopez gets around a hot mic.
For the time being though, The Takeover should busy himself with physical and mental preparations for Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz. This is due to Ortiz being his next opponent scheduled for February 8. As The Technician is no pushover, Lopez would do well to keep the eye on his ball and not speculate on the internal dealings of House Haney.
