Teofimo Lopez says he wants the fighters and the promoters to help bring back boxing by putting together more 50-50 fights that will interest fans.
The undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo (16-0, 12 KOs) is challenging the promoters and fighters to step up to the plate to put together fights that aren’t one-sided out the gate, which has turned off a lot of fans.
IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO 135-pound champion Lopez is coming off a massive 12 round decision win over Vasily Lomachenko in a fight that many fans predicted that he would lose last October.
It’s not just the promoters getting in the way of making important fights by protecting their stars by matching them only against opposition they’re 100% certain they can beat; it’s also the fighters.
Many of the fighters only want to make fights happen against opponents who agree to take the smaller money. Hence, we’re not seeing fights involving Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford
In order for us to bring Boxing back to its fullest we have to fight the fights that are 50/50 competition. This is a PSA to all the promoters and fighters. Quit being prideful and make the fights happen! IT’S NOT HARD. Promoters stop trying to make more money then the fighters.
— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) February 2, 2021
Teofimo could help boxing as well by not avoiding the dangerous rematch with Vasily Lomachenko.
That’s a fight that Teo absolutely should be taking. Still, instead, he’s opting for a safe fight against his little known IBF mandatory George Kambososo, who will probably never be mistaken for a #1 pound-for-pound fighter.
Teofimo’s excuses for why he doesn’t need to fight Lomachenko ever again are weak and transparent.
It’s pretty clear that Teofimo is worried about losing to Lomachenko in a rematch, so instead of fighting him again, he’s making excuses about how he failed to put a rematch clause in the contract.
With Teo, it’s a kind of ‘Do as I say not as I do’ type of thing where he’s lecturing fighters to take a stance by fighting 50-50 fights. Still, he’s not practicing what he preaches by choosing to take on an easy mark in Kambosos rather than facing Lomachenko again.
Teofimo is arguably one of the leading guys that are getting in the way of some big fights. He doesn’t have room to talk about wanting 50-50 fights, with him choosing to fight the likes of Kambosos, Diego Magdaleno, Edis Tatli, Mason Menard, and Masayoshi Nakatani.
At heavyweight, Anthony Joshua is one of the few fighters willing to fight the best in the weight class. He’s someone you don’t need to pressure to fight the best, as he wants to take on the top dogs in the division.
The same goes for the top guys at light heavyweight. Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol both way to fight the best.
At super middleweight, it’s a little different. Canelo Alvarez clearly isn’t fighting the bet with him electing to unify the division against the weak champions rather than facing the dangerous guys like David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, and Gennadiy Golovkin.
At 140, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez are two fighters that are willing to take on the best, which is why the two of them are meeting up for the undisputed championship on May 8th.
Fights that need to get made in boxing:
- Teofimo Lopez vs. Vasily Lomachenko 2
- Devin Haney vs. Teofimo Lopez
- Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis
- Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermall Charlo
- Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez
- Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Jermall Charlo
- Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford
- Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr
- Miguel Berchelt vs. Shakur Stevenson
- Miguel Berhcelt vs. Vasily Lomachenko
- Gary Russell Jr vs. Emanuel Navarrete
- Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Angelo Leo
- Naoya Inoue vs. John Riel Casimero
- Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Moruti Mthalane