Teofimo Lopez Would Enjoy Not Having To Fight This Year
On February 8, WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (19-1, 13 KO’s) will face Jamaine Ortiz. The two will collide under the hot lights of the Michelob Ultra Arena located in Las Vegas. During the pre-fight build up however, The Takeover uttered a rather eyebrow raising statement.
“Nobody wants to fight Teofimo, and it’s time – it’s time for me to show them why. The only way is by beating the bricks out of Jamaine Ortiz, with his face beating up my hands. And by doing that, it makes my year so much smoother because then I don’t have to fight these guys because they’ll run away!”
YOU GOOD CHAMP?!
At different times in his career Lopez, 26, has expressed his displeasure with a ranging series of scenarios in his life. This ledger contains conflict with his Top Rank promoters, clashes with his own father and trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr., as well as questioning his own skills and worth. In fact, it’s only been a blink of an eye since he returned from a brief, and little believed, retirement.
So, one has to give a little pause and consider what such a statement could mean. Of course, this very well may have been said tongue in cheek. Yet, as a prizefighter who makes their way in the world by staging fights, how on earth does having no viable opponents make your year smoother? Was this a Freudian slip?
Perhaps that retirement was not so much a publicity stunt as a real hemming and hawing of what to do next. If that’s the case, Jamaine Ortiz may just catch Lopez with crucial chinks in his mental armor. It’s just as likely that The Takeover is 100% on his game.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS!
As it always is, we’ll just have to tune in on fight night. Yet, it is a bit disconcerting that a fighter that has displayed the mental stress fractures that he has uttered such a statement on the eve of a meaningful fight. Time will tell the final tale. For Lopez fans however, let’s hope that it was all in lighthearted jest.
