Promoter Bob Arum is frustrated about what he can do for Teofimo Lopez after his recent rejection of a fight against Subriel Matias. The Top Rank president points out that he offered the fight to WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs), and nothing happened.
Teofimo blinked
Lopez lacks self-awareness and does not realize it His stock has hit bottom Since his loss to George Kambosos. He is unable to make the decisions and fight the fights he wants. Furthermore, Teo turns down offers to help him rebuild his brand.
Fans no longer think much of Teofimo, and new fans have no idea who he is. His final performance against a journeyman Steve Clagett It was a terrible thing, and it shows that this is the level at which he operates.
Arum hasn't said who he will introduce to Lopez next, but if he's lucky, he might get a chance to fight Ryan Garcia if he beats Devin Haney in a rematch this year. Garcia will likely win this fight easily, and he'll need Teofimo next if he doesn't price himself with some weird demands. Lopez must understand that he is not the first side in the fight against Haney and Ryan. They are arguably bigger names than him.
It wouldn't have been this way if Teofimo hadn't made a mess of his career since 2021, looking terrible in almost every fight since his narrow win over Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020. Something changed with Teo after that fight; Some believe that the punishment he received in that harsh match destroyed him. He now looks clueless in the ring, talking nonsense during interviews.
It seems It will end badly Between Arum and Teofimvu, as the Brooklyn, New York native destroys his career by turning down fights. Teo is like a fast-growing cancer now; There's probably no way to cut it.
So far, Lopez has shown no ability to overcome sophisticated opposition. He has struggled against contenders, losing to Jorge Kambosos Jr. and earning two controversial decisions over Jamin Ortiz and Sandor Martin. Many fans feel that Teofimo lost both fights, meaning his real record should be 19-3, not 21-1.
Arum's frustration
Although Arum has not given up on the once-promising 27-year-old Lopez, it seems hopeless. Teofimo has not performed well in five of his last six fights since 2021, and he still believes he is an elite level fighter. He wasted time calling up fighters above his class, such as Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Terence Crawford.
It might be best for Arum to wash his hands of Teofimo and say, “Good riddance.” He's not going to turn his career around to become the fighter that many fans thought he would be when things were going well for him from 2018 to 2020. Once again, Lomachenko is where things change. Teofimo is not the same fighter.
This may be because he is no longer fighting at 135, and does not have the size advantage that he routinely had when competing against smaller fighters at lightweight. If you compare Teofimo's size to Lomachenko's size on fight night, it's clear he was competing outside of his weight class.
Since hitting 140, Lopez has looked average and should have lost twice to Jamin and Sandor. You can only imagine what talents like Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, Alberto Boerello, Ryan and Haney would have done with Teofimo if they had fought him now.
Bob Arum on Teofimo Lopez: “The question is what won't he turn down? Where's his head? Who wants to fight? We gave him a whole bunch of fighters. And it's not like he's putting on great performances. He looked terrible with (Jamaine) Ortiz and people thought he lost it… pic.twitter.com/P2JM1gG9iZ
– Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) January 14, 2025
