Teofimo Lopez says he wants to fight WBO interim welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. in Los Angeles later this year.
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) expects Norman (26-0, 23 KOs) to be elevated to full WBO welterweight champion by the World Boxing Organization now that Terence Crawford has moved up to 154 and captured the WBA belt.
Capturing the WBO title would put Teofimo within range of landing a lucrative fight against Crawford.
It’s doubtful that Crawford would come back down to 147 to fight Teofimo, but he could move up to 154 easily once he’s fighting at welterweight and acclimated to the division.
Crawford hadn’t shown much interest in fighting Teofimo recently, but that was when he still believed a match against Canelo Alvarez was possible. That’s no longer an option now that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has chosen not to pursue it.
If Crawford stays at 154, his options aren’t any better-paying than a fight against Teofimo would pay. That’s a fight that sells, especially if Teofimo beats Brian Norman to capture his WBO belt.
Teofimo’s View of Crawford
“I thought the age would start catching up to him at 38, but it started at 36,” said Teofimo Lopez to Fight Hub TV, talking about Terence Crawford looking old in his fight against Israil Madromov last Saturday night.
“They’re putting out this thing that I dodged Brian Norman. I didn’t duck or dodge him at all. All I want to do is move by fight. I look New York; I love Madison Square Garden. It’s a great home for me.
“I just want to try a different avenue with all due respect and go to LA. I’ll still fight Brian Norman. Crawford just fought. I’m sure he’ll want to take some time with his family. I’ll still stay active. I think [WBO president] Paco [Valcarcel] is elevating.
Teofimo normally fights in New York City, where his fanbase is located, but he now wants to try LA. Some fans believe this is a tax-oriented move to avoid the high taxes in New York. If this is a move to save money on taxes, Teofimo should be focusing on Nevada or Texas.
Norman’s Elevation
“Now that Crawford just fought, I think Paco is going to elevate [WBO interim welterweight champion] Brian Norman to welterweight champion,” said Teofimo. “So, I’ll fight for a world title. I don’t duck nobody. It could be the end of this year or in the fall.”
Teofimo must really want the Crawford payday for him to be willing to move up to 147 to face a dangerous puncher like Brian Norman Jr. He hits hard and is coming off of a tenth-round knockout win over Giovani Santillan last May in San Diego.
“It doesn’t matter to me. We’re ready, we’re staying ready. I’m at 155 right now. I’m sure he’s at 170, and that’s fine. We just keep going like that. The best venue is the Staples Center [in Los Angeles]. I know they call it Crypto, but I always call it Staples. I never fought in LA,” said Teofimo.
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