Teofimo Lopez vs. Devin Haney possible for February 2022

Teofimo Lopez’s dad told Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn that Teo will face Devin Haney next February after the two fighters take care of their interim contests. Hearn says he wants the Teofimo vs. Haney fight to be held at 135, and Teo’s dad has agreed to it.

In the meantime, Teofimo (16-0, 12 KOs) will be defending his IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight titles against his IBF mandatory George Kambosos Jr next month on November 27th in a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN.

Hearn is still trying to hammer out a deal for Haney to defend his WBC lightweight title against Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr on December 3rd on DAZN.

If Teofimo and Haney win their next fights, we could see them square off next February, as long as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is on board with the idea of them fighting.

Hearn wants Teofimo vs. Haney in 2022

“I said to Teofimo’s dad after Devin had a pop at me, we tried to make the fight,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV on making a fight between Haney and Teofimo. “No one has ever approached me about the fight.

“I told Teo and his dad, ‘Listen, I’m just telling you, we’re in for the fight.’ ‘Yeah, we’ll f*** him up.’ I said, ‘Good. I’m just saying, we’re 100% in for that fight,'” said Hearn about him being willing to set up a fight between Haney and Teofimo in 2022.

“So we end the year with a massive event [Haney vs. Jojo Diaz jr]  in the lightweight division. Teofimo Lopez against George Kambosos coming to DAZN with Matchroom.

“Devin Haney hopefully against Jojo Diaz coming to DAZN on Matchroom. We’ll do the fight [Teofimo vs. Haney] next year. I said to Devin earlier, ‘One thing is for sure, I think Teofimo wants to fight you.’ He said, ‘Teofimo won’t fight me.’ I said, ‘I actually disagree with you. I think Teofimo will fight,'” said Hearn.

It’s a bit early for Hearn to be looking beyond Haney’s next potential opponent Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr., on December 3rd towards a fight between Devin and Teofimo in 2022.

Hearn is counting his chicks before they’ve hatched by assuming Haney will get by Diaz Jr. without suffering his first career defeat.

Teofimo Sr. agrees to Haney fight

“As I said to this man [Teofimo Lopez Sr.]  here. I said to Devin earlier, I truly believe Teofimo will fight Devin,”  said Hearn. “And I said to this man [Teofimo Sr.] when we were having the arguments, you’ve got my word that Devin wants to fight you and will fight you.

“I don’t see the other guys in the division doing that. So, it’s frustrating. We want to fight Ryan Garcia. Ryan Garcia was mandatory to Devin but wouldn’t fight him. Jojo Diaz was mandatory to Devin, and he wouldn’t fight him,” said Hearn.

“Okay, we’ll fight him [Haney] in February,” said Teofimo Sr.  “We’ll fight him at 140.”

“Not really, do it at 135,” said Hearn about his preference to have Teofimo fight Haney, at lightweight with all the titles being at stake.

“Yeah, but it’s got to be right back to back,” said Teofimo Sr. “My son has been at 135. We’ve already proved that we beat the guy [Vasily Lomachenko] that was the guy.

“We don’t got nothing to prove to nobody. But if Devin wants to fight at 135, it’s got to be right after we fight against Kambosos because we can’t make this weight no more. My son [Teofimo] is already draining out at that weight, and I know Devin too,” said Teofimo Sr.

“Let’s just do one more at lightweight because there are too many good fighters at lightweight,” said Hearn about his desire for the Haney vs. Teofimo fight to be held at 135.

Teofimo’s dad is getting ahead of himself in negotiating a fight with Haney without Teo’s promoter Bob Arum in the discussion.

This is all going to take Arum by surprise when he finds out, and he may have other ideas for Teofimo.

Networks won’t be a problem

“God is going to give us the right belts. If we have to fight Devin, we’re going to fight Devin,” said Teofimo Sr. “We want the biggest fights. The only reason we’re fighting Kambosos is because we don’t want to lose the IBF.

“That was a mandatory. He wasn’t going to cut us out for two million dollars. Are you crazy? They’re saying we could have got somebody else. No, it doesn’t work like that. Kambosos wasn’t going to take that.

“It’s not going to be an issue. Bob Arum already said,” said Teofimo Sr. when asked if the networks will be an obstacle to getting the Teofimo vs. Haney fight made.

“We can do it on ESPN; we can do it on DAZN; we can do it on both. It doesn’t matter,” said Hearn on the Haney vs. Teofimo fight. “I believe Bob [Arum] will put on the fight, yeah.”

“Right after this fight with Kambosos, Eddie Hearn, I like the man; he’s a good guy. We’re going to be doing business with him,” said Teofimo Sr.

“My son is going to be a free agent real soon. So, if you want Devin with us, we’ll do it. I know Bob, and I’ll talk to my son, and we’ll make it happen,” said Teofimo Sr.

“We’ll announce the [Teofimo vs. Kambosos] fight early next week,” said Hearn. “Devin would not turn down one fight. He wants to fight them all. So, Teofimo is a great fighter, and so is Devin. Two brilliant young fighters. Let’s get it on,”  said Hearn.

As long as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum agrees to put on the Teofimo vs. Haney fight, it can happen, but until he speaks, you got to be a little skeptical.

This talk of a Teofimo-Haney fight may take Arum by surprise because his plans are for Teofimo to move up to 140 and challenge undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor for his four belts in the first quarter of 2022.

It will be cutting it close for Teofmo to face Haney in February because Teo would need to make a quick turnaround to meet Taylor next April.

Arum likely wants to make the Taylor vs. Teofimo fight in April because Josh will be moving up to 147 to challenge WBO champion Terence Crawford for his title after that, provided that he beats Shawn Porter on November 20th.