Top Rank is working on closing a deal for a title fight between WBO 140-lb champion Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez for this summer in Scotland on May 27th or June 3rd.
For Teofimo fans, this is good news because he’ll be getting a title shot after two fights in the 140-lb division against the former undisputed champion Taylor.
Mike Coppinger states that Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) could defend his WBO belt against former unified lightweight champion Teofimo (18-1, 13 KOs) at Easter Road in Edinburgh, Scotland. This would place the struggling 25-year-old Teofimo on the road for the first time in his seven-year professional career; it couldn’t come at the worst time for him.
“Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez are closing in on a deal for a junior welterweight title fight this summer in the U.K. The 140-pound fight could land at the 20,000-plus seat stadium at Easter Road in Edinburgh, Scotland, with May 27 and June 3 as the dates being targeted,” said Mike Coppinger to ESPN. “Lopez has never competed outside the U.S.”
Vasyl Lomachenko may have knocked something loose from Teofimo when they fought in October 2020, but he’s not performed or acted like the guy he used to be since that fight.
We know that Teofimo fell apart in the seventh round against Loma and took many shots to the head. Teofimo looked hurt a couple of times in the championship rounds.
You got to be more than a little concerned about whether Teofimo is ready for this level of a fight because his recent performances have been bad and his behavior strange.
— Josh Taylor (@JoshTaylorBoxer) February 11, 2023
The way Teofimo has looked since 2021, he’s not ready for a fighter like Taylor. Ideally, Top Rank should match Teofimo against these contenders to see if he can recapture his bearings before putting him in with Taylor or Regis Prograis:
- Arnold Barboza Jr
- Liam Paro
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Subriel Matias
- Jeremiah Ponce
- Jose Ramirez
- Sandor Martin – *rematch in neutral territory
Teofimo has struggled badly in his last three fights and was fortunate not to lose two of them. For Top Rank to put Teo against Taylor in his home country in, Scotland, it’s a sign that they want to make a decision on whether to keep him beyond this fight or cut him loose.
If Teofimo loses this fight against Taylor, it could be the end for him with Top Rank, because he’s not the fighter many thought he was when he upset Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020.
It will be a huge turnaround if Teofimo wins this fight against Taylor because he deserved a defeat against his last opponent Sandor Martin last December, and he got beaten by George Kambosos Jr. in a shock loss in 2021.
