Junior welterweight titlist Teofimo Lopez wants to give a hard look at his future—and some family time to his infant son—before committing to his next fight.
Lopez, the former lightweight champion from Brooklyn, New York, is coming off a redemptive points win over Josh Taylor, in June, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to earn Taylor’s WBO 140-pound title. The win silenced many critics, who felt Lopez, besieged by troubles in his personal life, would implode during that fight. But the 26-year-old was in control for nearly every round en route to a unanimous decision.
After the fight, Lopez caused a stir by claiming he would retire. However, Lopez seemed to renege on that decision a few months later, when he told the WBO he intended to keep and defend his title. The WBO also elevated Lopez to “Super Champion,” a designation that gives the fighter more flexibility to pursue non-mandated title defenses.
But there still seems to be significant trouble at hand, as Lopez has balked at the idea of returning to the ring anytime soon. He was originally projected to return on Dec. 9 as the headliner of an ESPN telecast to air immediately after the broadcaster’s annual presentation of the Heisman Trophy. His promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, told BoxingScene.com’s Keith Idec that Lopez would instead be returning in the first quarter of 2024.
Asked to explain why he decided to forgo the December opportunity, Lopez gave a pointed, if somewhat cryptic, response, seemingly directed at his longtime promoter.
“I bring too many demands and I don’t get nothin’ back,” Lopez told BoxingScene.com early Friday morning outside Madison Square Garden in New York City after the conclusion of the junior middleweight bout between Callum Walsh and Ismael Villarreal.
Lopez added that another significant factor in putting his prizefighting days on hold is his son, with whom he has spent scant time; Lopez has had marital troubles over the past few years.
“But it’s more than that (monetary reasons for not fighting),” Lopez said. “I have my son and I haven’t spent time with him, to be honest. You know, he’s about to be two next week. With that being said, I’ve only spent nine months with him. You know what I mean?”
When asked if he planned to fight in 2024, the fighter demurred.
“We don’t have no plans right now,” he said.
But you’re the champ.
“I know,” Lopez said. “But we don’t have no plans right now.”
Lopez then said he simply wanted to “weigh” his options before committing to his next fight, saying he was not afforded the opportunity to do so after he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020.
“We want to weigh our options. We couldn’t weigh our options when I became undisputed the first time. So I just want to weigh my options this time.”
Lopez has expressed bitterness toward the boxing business recently. Earlier this week, he uploaded a video of himself collecting garbage, saying it pays better than boxing.
Lopez said he was talking to other entities about possible fights. But he ruled out Matchroom Boxing, the British outfit led by Eddie Hearn, as one of them. Lopez and Hearn were recently enmeshed in a feud on social media.
“I’m talking to everybody—No, I don’t deal with Matchroom or those kind of guys. Nor DAZN.
“I’m my own promoter.”
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.