The former undisputed champion says his corner gave him the wrong instructions and reveals he broke down in tears before the fight
Teofimo Lopez says his father failed to give him the guidance he needed during his loss to Shakur Stevenson, admitting he agrees with criticism of his corner. Lopez also revealed he broke down in tears the day before the fight because he sensed his career was about to change.
“My father who’s my trainer just wasn’t giving me the proper instructions that night,” Lopez said to the Daily Mail. “He was more bringing it down rather than telling me what I needed to do. When you have everyone against you, and you feel your back’s on the wall, in those moments you’ve got to be with your fighter and tell them the right things. Get back up. You got this. I can’t just always self-motivate myself. That’s why you have a team.”
Teofimo said he even agreed with fans who questioned his corner’s performance after the fight.
“Oh yeah. I agree with them. I totally agree with them. They’re not wrong in what they feel,” said Lopez.
The former undisputed light welterweight champion also shared an emotional moment from the day before the fight, revealing he unexpectedly began crying while sitting with his mother because he sensed a major change was coming.
“I looked at my mother, and I just started crying. I think more so of the pain that maybe something was coming,” said Teofimo about him crying before his fight with Shakur. “I don’t know if it was saying goodbye to something, but definitely just a moment to reflect and appreciate the moment.”
Asked what he meant, Teofimo said he now believes the defeat marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career.
“I think it was time. I think it was something I asked for in some way. I wanted a change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to take away what he did. He executed. They fought phenomenally. But I like comeback stories,” said Teofimo.
Lopez said the loss also convinced him to trust his own instincts more. He has brought childhood trainer Milton Lacroy back into his corner and plans to make changes to his preparation as he moves up to welterweight.
The 28-year-old has verbally agreed to challenge WBA welterweight champion Rolando Romero in Las Vegas on August 22, with the fight expected to become official once the remaining paperwork is completed.
