Teofimo Lopez Claims the Backing of God in Upcoming Bout with Josh Taylor
Super lightweight fighter Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (18-1, 13 KO’s) is no stranger to making bold statements. Like many high-caliber boxers, he is quick to proclaim his greatness and superiority over his fellow fighters in the division. While this is no big deal, in the build-up to his June 9 dance date with WBO 140-pound champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (19-0, 13 KO’s), he has certainly upped the ante.
Over the course of conducting numerous interviews, The Takeover has called himself a legend, assured that he is already a first round Hall of Fame fighter and even expressed his desire to kill Taylor in the ring. Now, Lopez, 25, has gone from murderous talking points to blasphemous in a recent Q&A with Mill City Boxing.
“If you are against me, good luck! Good luck to all y’all and I want all you guys to put all your money involved in this fight. And I want everyone to go broke! Whoever’s against me, you’re going to lose your house. Whoever is against me will lose food for your family because that’s how I feel. You go against me, you go against God because that’s who I fight for.”
PRE-FIGHT HYPE OR MENTAL IMPLOSION?
In The Takeover’s last match versus Sandor Martin, he put in a very shaky performance. Despite the tepid effort, he still prevailed by way of split decision. After collecting the suspect victory however, Lopez has clearly not taken well to the criticism from the fans and boxing insiders that came with it. For his sake, it would not be good if his upcoming in-ring execution mirrored his unhinged rhetoric of late.
A win over Taylor would make Lopez a two-division champion and go a long way to restoring the rather diminished luster associated with his name. The Takeover is certainly a gifted fighter but seems to be grappling with some internal issues. Therefore a loss would be devastating both politically and mentally. With so much riding on the line, it will be extremely interesting to witness how Teofimo Lopez conducts himself in the squared-circle come fight night!
