Teofimo Lopez took to social media today to complain about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis choosing not to fight him. Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) says IBF and WBA welterweight champion Ennis is making Philadelphia look bad by not agreeing to fight him.
Why Boots Avoided Teofimo
Boots (34-0, 30 KOs) was in an impossible situation. If he had fought Teofimo in a voluntary defense, he would have had to pay a step-aside fee to his WBA mandatory Shakhram Giyasov. The WBA has already ordered that fight. Ennis has 120 days from April 12th to defend against him. Giyasov already stepped aside for the April 12th fight between former WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis and Ennis.
If Boots did choose to fight Lopez, he’d have to defend against Giyasov next. This means Ennis wouldn’t be free to fight a unification against the welterweight champions Mario Barrios and Brian Norman Jr. Ennis’ goal is to become undisputed champion before moving up to 154.
With it becoming increasingly more difficult for Boots to make 147 due to his size, he can’t waste time in fights like Teofimo if he wants to achieve his goal before it becomes physically impossible to make weight.
Lopez’s Social Media Rant
“No Boots fight. They said no. Boots, if you’re on here and your father is on here, Bozy, listen to me. You are bozos,” said Teofimo Lopez on social media a day after reportedly being fired by Turki Alalshikh. “How do you claim yourself from Philly, and you don’t want to fight the best?’
Teofimo acts like Ennis is the only interesting fight out there for him. He can always go after one of these fighters if he’s interested in giving fans an exciting fight:
– Gary Antuanne Russell
– Richardson Hitchins
– George Kambosos Jr.
– Keyshawn Davis
“Y’all putting Philly down. We’re trying to fight the best, so we claim the best. We show our legacy. Is that wrong? I got fired yesterday for that. Hey, guys, how many of you think they’re [Ring Magazine] are going to take our belt away? You think they’re going to take my belt away? Let me get some love,” said Teofimo.
Is Teofimo Losing Grip?
Lopez is starting to sound paranoid. Losing his Ring Magazine wouldn’t change anything. If he can beat the top guys, he’ll recapture in no time at 140.
