Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

By Boxing News - 01/08/2021 - Comments

By Jeff Aronow: Teofimo Lopez views the news of the agreement for a fight between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Ryan ‘Kingry’ Garcia as a good thing for the sport of boxing. Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) wants as much interest as possible from fans in the lightweight division, as he ultimately will benefit when he faces all of these fighters.

Devin Haney = Plan B option for Teofimo Lopez’s next fight

IIB/WBA/WBC Franchise/WBO 135-lb champion Teofimo says WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney is his plan-B option if he cannot negotiate a fight with his IBF mandatory George Kambosos Jr.

Teofimo, 23, reveals that they’ve already sent a control out to the unbeaten #1 IBF Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs), and if he doesn’t agree to it, he’ll push ahead with the fight with Haney (25-0, 15 KOs).

U.S boxing fans would prefer to see Teofimo fight Haney, 22, next rather than Kambosos, a fighter that isn’t a household name in the States.

If not Haney, American fans would like to see Teofimo give former three-division world champion Vasily Lomachenko a rematch. Teofimo says his reason for not giving Lomachenko, 33; a rematch is because he doubts that he would have been given a second chance if he’d lost their October 17th fight.

By going by this belief, Teofimo uses it as his rationale for not fighting Lomachenko again.

Haney is Plan-B for Teofimo if no Kambosos fight

“Everybody wants to fight everybody the right price,” said Teofimo Lopez to ESNEWS about the top 135-pounders wanting to fight each other.

Image: Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

“I get it, though. There are many fights that we can make. We can fight twice, three times. When I was in the amateurs, I fought guys 15 times. The same guy. It’s possible. We got to see who’s next.

“We sent the contract out to [George] Kambosos, and we’ll see what happens there,” said Teofimo about his possible next fight. “If they give us s*** for it, the next thing you know it, we’ll press on Devin [Haney].

“Not even, bro. We’ll see what happens,” said Lopez on whether he still wants $10 million for the Haney fight like he and his father Teofimo Lopez Sr previously told Matchroom promoter, Eddie Hearn.

“Everybody is winning,” said Lopez about Ryan Garcia, Haney, and Gervonta Davis all winning lately. “When everybody is winning, we all win.”

It’s good that Lopez is no longer talking about wanting $10 million for him to fight Haney. Teofimo seems to be under the impression that he’s going to continue to fight at 135 for many years, which doesn’t sound realistic.

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When Teofimo talks about fighting the top lightweights two and three times, it’s speculative. Teofimo’s father says he thinks he’ll be moving up to 140 after two more fights.

That why it seems self-defeating for Teofimo to waste one of his last fights at 135 facing Kambosos. Teofimo should use his time wisely by taking the biggest money fight available to him, be it Lomachenko, Haney, or the Garcia vs. Davis winner.

Teofimo happy Ryan Garcia beat Luke Campbell

“You always got to be careful,” said Lopez when asked about his thoughts on Ryan Garcia getting dropped by Luke Campbell in the second round of their fight last Saturday night.

Image: Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

“For a lot of us, when we get dropped, we got to take a knee and slow it down. You already got dropped. You don’t want to get up too quick. That’s the rookie in us that we got to work on.

“It was real nice, and real good, man,” said Lopez on Ryan Garcia stopping Campbell with a body shot in the seventh.

“You can train all you want, but if you hit the right spot on the body, you’re going down no matter what. So that was a good move for him [Ryan Garcia], and I wish him nothing but the best.

“Teofimo brings excitement for boxing. He brings excitement for the fans,” said Lopez in speaking in the third person about his message to his fans. “Everybody, thank you for nominating me, voting for me for Fighter of the Year. It all comes from you guys.

“I thank you, guys. In return, you guys motivate me, and I appreciate it. For that, I work harder and make better and bigger fights happen for you guys.

“Thank you, guys. I’m blessed. I’m about to go meet my idol, bro. It’s crazy,” said Teofimo about him going to meet ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.

And it’s good for Teofimo that Ryan Garcia and Tank Davis are fighting, but it’s not going to do much for his career if he can’t stay in the 135-lb division long enough to fight the winner.

It’s unlikely that Tank Davis will agree to move up to 140 to fight Teofimo once he leaves the 135-lb division in a fight or two.

That’s why it’s stupid for Teofimo to fight no-name guys like Kambosos. If Teofimo’s father is the one that is advising him on his career moves, he needs to get a good manager that can properly plan out his fights for him.

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It’s just common sense that Lopez should be fighting Lomachenko, Ryan Garcia, Haney, or Tank rather than Kambosos. Even Luke Campbell would do more for Teofimo than a fight with Kambososo.

Lopez views himself as King of lightweight division

“It’s good for him and better for the sport,” said Teofimo Lopez to ESNEWS about Ryan Garcia’s victory over Luke Campbell. “It’s better for boxing. The fans,” Lopez said when asked who wins between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.

Image: Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

Image: Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

“The fans and me,” said Teofimo when asked who wins between him and Devin Haney. I knock everybody out, whoever they put in front of me.

“Because there can only be one king,” said Teofimo about why he doesn’t like the talk of there being ‘four Kings’ [Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Lopez, and Gervonta Davis]. I call them the ‘Muskateers’ because they’re a joke.

“It’s a huge achievement, and I’m very thankful, and I’m very blessed,” said Teofimo in reacting to the news of him sharing with heavyweight champion Tyson Fury the Ring Magazine’s 2020 ‘Fighter of the Year.’

“Honestly, I’m looking forward to doing it again in 2021, but this time by myself,” said Lopez.

Some boxing fans initially viewed Teofimo as the #1 guy at 135 after winning over Lomachenko last October. But since then, the way Teofimo seems to be risk-avoidance, the fans now question whether he’s confident enough to take on the best.

The fight with Kambosos is a sign that Teofimo isn’t willing to take the rematch with Lomachenko, and that doesn’t look good. It gives the impression that he doesn’t feel confident that he’d beat Loma a second time.

Further, Teofimo was falling apart under pressure from Lomachenko in the second half of the fight, showing that he would lose to the Ukrainian if they were to fight again.

Lomachenko, any top fighter, knows how to beat Teofimo now by forcing him to fight hard, throwing lots of punches, and pressuring him nonstop.

Teofimo affirms no rematch for Lomachenko

“I look at it like this. A lot of people say I’m scared [of giving Vasily Lomachenko a rematch].

Image: Teofimo Lopez talks Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight, and Devin Haney

“There isn’t anyone scared over here, alright? I look at it like this, man. Had he [Lomachenko] beat me, would they have given me a rematch?

“No. Thank you,” said Lopez in explaining his somewhat distorted rationale for why he’s decided not to give Lomachenko a rematch to clear up the controversy surrounding the results of their fight last October.

It makes Teofimo look bad that he’s not willing to give Lomachenko a rematch, and it takes away from his win over the Ukrainian fighter. If Teofimo is that kind of a champion, he should vacate all four belts and move up to 140.

Someone else needs to hold the 135-lb titles, a fighter that isn’t going to be afraid to take risks. Judging by Teofimo’s comments, he’s not that guy.