Teofimo Lopez guarantees that he will fight Devin Haney next!
Well it seems the relentless chorus of people saying that he is not the undisputed champion has undoubtedly gotten under the Take Over’s skin! Despite fans, many in the media, fellow boxers and the sanctioning bodies denying his undisputed status, WBA Super, WBO and IBF World Lightweight champion Teofimo “Take Over” Lopez (16-0, 12 KO’s) begrudgingly maintains that he is. Thankfully this avalanche of reality has finally forced him into action…we hope.
GIVE ME THE DREAM!
On numerous occasions, the Brooklyn fighter has claimed he would fight the actual WBC World Lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (25-0, 15 KO’s) only to later renege. Yet, in his latest presser to promote his upcoming bout with George Kambosos, Lopez assures that he will face Haney directly after. In fact, in an interview with Behind the Gloves, in grandiose fashion he promises to leave The Dream no avenue of escape!
“If I am the Franchise world champion, I can mandate any fight, right? For the WBC. So Mauricio, we’re going to make it happen. So this is how we’re going to checkmate Devin. I’m going to show you how we’re going to checkmate you, you little bitch! We’re going to checkmate you like this. So when you beat Linares, and you got to beat him alright, so you got to beat him, make sure you beat him and then after that we’re going to mandate it. We’re going to make you my mandatory so then you can’t leave.”
“But if you overprice yourself, guess what? Oh shit, plan B, we’re going to put you in a purse bid. So then may the best network bid us right here. And we are going to make the fight happen! You can’t run my guy, you can’t run! Don’t run, alright? Alright good we’re going to be on the same page. I’m going to checkmate you. I’m going to show you for the fraud that you are because you a fake-it-til-you-make-it kind of guy. And you ain’t real, you ain’t got no heart, you ain’t got no brains, you just a bitch!”
LET’S JUST WAIT AND SEE!
At this point, it is not certain that Lopez, while holding “Franchise” status, can mandate a fight. It is known that a “Franchise boxer” does not have to face any mandatory challengers. Yet, if you look at the current WBC rules on their website, there is no mentioning of a “Franchise boxer” being able to mandate a fight.
On the other hand however, considering the WBC has consistently been making things up and changing their own rules about the “Franchise” status as they go, what can they not do?! Let’s just hope at the end of the day, provided Haney and Lopez are victorious in their next outings, that they can finally get in the ring and put all the nonsense to bed.
By: Bakari Simpson
