Promoter Bob Arum is pissed off about what he can do for Teofimo Lopez after his newest rejection of a battle in opposition to Subriel Matias. The High Rank boss factors out that he supplied fights to WBO mild welterweight champion Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs), and nothing occurred.
Teofimo’s Decline
Lopez lacks self-awareness and doesn’t understand his inventory has bottomed out since his loss to George Kambosos. He’s not in a position to name the photographs and get the fights he needs. Furthermore, Teo turns down the gives to assist him rebuild his model.
Followers not assume a lot of Teofimo, and the newer ones don’t have any clue who he’s. His latest efficiency in opposition to journeyman Steve Claggett was one thing terrible, displaying that’s the extent he’s working at.
Arum isn’t saying who he’ll supply to Lopez subsequent, but when he’s fortunate, he would possibly get an opportunity at combating Ryan Garcia if he whips Devin Haney of their rematch this 12 months. Garcia will probably simply win that battle, and he’ll want Teofimo subsequent if he doesn’t value himself out with some wacky demand. Lopez should perceive that he’s not the A-side for fights in opposition to Haney and Ryan. They’re arguably larger names than him.
It wouldn’t have been that manner if Teofimo hadn’t made a multitude of his profession since 2021, trying horrible in virtually each battle since his slim win over Vasily Lomachenko in 2020. One thing modified with Teo after that battle, and a few consider that the punishment that he took in that grueling match wrecked him. He now seems to be clueless within the ring, and he talks nonsense throughout interviews.
It appears it should finish badly between Arum and Teofimfo, because the Brooklyn, New York native is ruining his profession by turning down fights. Teo is sort of a quickly rising most cancers now; there’s probably no manner of reducing it out.
To date, Lopez has proven no capability to beat cutting-edge opposition. He’s struggled in opposition to contenders, dropping to George Kambosos Jr. and being gifted two controversial choices in opposition to Jamaine Ortiz and Sandor Martin. Many followers really feel Teofimo misplaced each fights, which suggests his true document needs to be 19-3, not 21-1.
Arum’s Frustration
Though Arum hasn’t given up on the once-promising 27-year-old Lopez, he sounds hopeless. Teofimo hasn’t carried out effectively in 5 out of his final six fights since 2021, and he nonetheless believes he’s an elite-level fighter. He’s wasted time calling out fighters above his class, like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Terence Crawford.
It may be higher for Arum to scrub his arms of Teofimo and say, ‘Good riddance.’ He’s NOT going to show his profession round to be the fighter that many followers thought he could be when issues had been going effectively for him from 2018 to 2020. Once more, the Lomachenko is the place issues modified. Teofimo isn’t the identical fighter.
A few of that may be as a result of he’s not combating at 135, and he doesn’t have the scale benefit he routinely loved when competing in opposition to smaller fighters at light-weight. For those who examine Teofimo’s measurement to Lomachenko’s on the night time of the battle, it’s fairly clear that he was competing exterior of his weight class.
Since transferring as much as 140, Lopez seems to be common and will have misplaced twice in opposition to Jamaine and Sandor. You’ll be able to solely think about what skills like Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, Alberto Puerllo, Ryan, and Haney would have performed to Teofimo in the event that they’d fought him by now.
Bob Arum on Teofimo Lopez: “The query is what received’t he flip down? The place is his head at? Who does he wanna battle? We gave him a complete group of fighters. And it’s not like he’s coming off nice performances. He regarded horrible with [Jamaine] Ortiz and other people thought he misplaced that… pic.twitter.com/P2JM1gG9iZ
— Ring Journal (@ringmagazine) January 14, 2025
