Teofimo Lopez asks fans: “How well did I play the crazy role Taylor-Lopez matchup?”

Image: Teofimo Lopez asks fans: "How well did I play the crazy role Taylor-Lopez matchup?"
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 09: Teofimo Lopez flexes on the scale during the weigh in ahead of his June 10 WBO junior welterweight championship fight against Josh Taylor, at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
By Boxing News - 06/13/2023 - Comments

By Sean Jones: Teofimo Lopez posted on mini-poll on Twitter today, asking fans how well he played the “crazy role” during the long build-up for his fight with WBO light welterweight champion Josh Taylor last Saturday night at the Hula Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Teofimo (19-1, 13 KOs) is letting fans know that he was trolling to attract more interest in his fight with the previously unbeaten Scottish fighter by saying bizarre things that made him appear unhinged mentally and needing psychiatric help.

If this was just an acting job by Teofimo playing a theatrical game to mess with the minds of fans, it’s reasonable to assume that his retirement from boxing is more fake stuff to get attention.

Can Teofimo be taken seriously?

With Teofimo admitting that he was playing a role by acting crazy in the promotion of his fight with Taylor, you got to take anything he says with a grain of salt and view him as just faking stuff, putting on an act to be boxing’s version of an unhinged reality TV character.

Teo is the 140-lb division’s version of Tyson Fury, with the phony retirement and odd behavior. What boxing fans can expect to see from Teofimo is he playing the villain role at times, acting like he’s certifiably insane, and playing the retirement bit to get waterworks from the fans.

It works with fans in the short term, but Teofimo can’t continue to play the same role now that people know he was faking. Also, Teofimo will need to start fighting better opposition. Let’s be clear. The 32-year-old Josh Taylor was NOT the #1 fighter at 140, and he never was in the real sense.

He beat Regis Prograis by a questionable decision in 2019 in London, England, and was given VERY favorable scoring from the judges. After that, Taylor chose not to give Prograis a rematch, and he fought just twice, beating Jose Ramirez and Jack Catterall. Most boxing fans think Taylor lost to Catterall last year.

For Teofimo to continue to get attention from boxing fans, he’s going to need to fight and defeat these fighters:

– Devin Haney
– Regis Prograis
– Subriel Matias
– Gary Antuanne Russell
– Arnold Barboza Jr
– Richardson Hitchins
– Sandor Martin – rematch
– Ryan Garcia
– Gervonta Davis
– George Kambosos Jr – rematch
– Vasyl Lomachenko – rematch

After the fight, Teofimo’s dad made it clear that he would take care of family issues, and then they would fight again. Lopez Sr tipped the fans that Teofimo will fight again once he deals with his family problems.

“He’s got to take care of some family stuff family-wise, and after that, we’ll go do it again. Ain’t nobody going to beat my son,” said Teofimo Lopez Sr to Fight Hub TV following Teo’s win over WBO light welterweight champion Josh Taylor last Saturday night in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“He’s got to trust his right and left hook. Once he lets it go, he doesn’t miss. He’s too fast,” Lopez Sr. said about Teo.

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