By Allan Fox: Teofimo Lopez Sr says his son, Teo, won’t be fighting Regis Prograis next for his WBC light welterweight title because there’s no money in that fight.
Teofimo Sr states that Top Rank will be giving Teo a fight in late April or early May as a tune-up before he challenges for a world title against the winner of the rematch between WBO 140-lb champion Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall.
According to Teofimo Sr, Teo will still eventually fight Prograis, but only after winning the WBO belt from the Taylor-Catterall victor. Many boxing fans believe that Teofimo is outright ducking Prograis and has no intention of ever fighting him.
If your Teofimo, it’s not a good idea for him to get anywhere near Prograis because he’s looked terrible in his last two fights at 140 against Sandor Martin & Pedro Campa.
Before those two fights, Teofimo lost to George Kambosos Jr, meaning that he’s looked poor in his last three contests. Kambosos may have messed up Teofimo’s head and screwed up his game because he’s looked shot since that fight.
“The Regis fight isn’t going to happen because what are we going to get for that, 35%?” said Teofimo Lopez Sr to Fighthype, making it clear that Teo won’t be challenging WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis.
“There ain’t no money in that fight. Exactly, bro, but why are we going to fight Regis Prograis when we ain’t going to get the money that we’re supposed to get? That’s what people don’t understand, bro.
“We want to fight for Top Rank and be on ESPN and fight with that network so we can get what everyone is chasing, money and belts. The belts are going to come.
“We’re getting Josh Taylor like in July, but I told Bob [Arum], ‘Bob, we’re not fighting Josh Taylor unless you give us a fight before July.
“We need to have a fight; we need to have a fight in April or the beginning of May or the end of April. We need to have a fight. Then we can make that s**t happen.
“My son ain’t scared of nobody. I would love to fight Regis Prograis right now because my son would box the s**t out of him. I heard some rumors where his wife said, ‘I don’t want my husband fighting with Teofimo Lopez because he’s dangerous.’
“I don’t know how true that is, but I heard people talking about that. We want Regis. That’s the fight that we like, people that come to fight. That’s the fight to be made, him and my son. That’s the biggest fight.
“Now he’s talking about Adrien Broner. What the f**k is that all about? That’s just crazy. It’s not right right now. Once we beat Josh Taylor or Catterall, because you never know, bro. Catterall, a lot of people thought he won the last fight.
“Josh Taylor could lose that fight. Do I want him to lose? No, because I want Josh Taylor; I want the champion. I want to show the whole world that my son is going to be two-time undisputed at 135 & 140, and I want him to be the first to do it,” Teofimo Sr said about his struggling son, Teo.
“I was a little bit scared because I didn’t want Errol Spence to fight Terence Crawford because that would have f***ked us up if Crawford had beat Errol Spence; he would have been two-time world champ, two times undisputed. That would have hurt us, so I really didn’t want that fight.
“So now we get the opportunity to fight Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis next after whoever the f**k they [Top Rank] give us in May. Do you understand what I’m saying? You’ve got to be smart with this f***king s**t,” said Teofimo Sr.