Teofimo Lopez Snr does not believe that Devin Haney is willing to fight his son Teofimo Jnr.
Haney, 25, was beaten by Ryan Garcia in their WBC junior-welterweight title fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in April. Haney was knocked down three times before being declared the loser via scores of 112-112, 114-110 and 115-109.
It was later revealed that the 26-year-old Garcia, in tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. Garcia insisted that he is a clean fighter, but their fight was changed to a no contest, and he was fined $1.1 million and suspended for a year.
“I don’t believe that Haney wants to fight us,” Lopez Snr told Fight Hub TV. “I mean, you can’t have a guy that’s coming from getting ripped apart the way Ryan did to him and come and fight my son.”
Lopez Snr claimed Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) avoided fighting his son when Lopez Jnr (21-1, 13 KOs) held the IBF and WBO lightweight titles. Lopez Snr, who also trains his son, is therefore unconvinced that Haney would want to risk entering a fight with his son after a defeat.
“But could I entertain it?” he continued. “Of course I can. You know what I’m saying? If the money’s right, we’ll make it happen.”
Lopez Jnr retained his WBO 140lbs title via a 12-round unanimous decision victory in June over Canada’s Steve Claggett. The victory over Claggett was his fifth in succession after he lost his unified IBF and WBO lightweight titles to George Kambosos Jnr in 2021.
A potential fight with four-division champion Terence Crawford has also been speculated about. Crawford won the WBA 154lbs title by earning a unanimous decision win over Israil Madrimov in August. The newly-crowned WBA 154lbs titlist insists he favours a super-middleweight showdown with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
When asked if Lopez, 27, would consider fighting Crawford, Lopez Snr responded: “So, the Haney fight, we want; a Crawford fight, we definitely want it for legacy. But that boy [Crawford] is not beating up my son, and he knows it. He’s too slow. He’s got no legs. The legs are gone.
“I’ve been in this game for 25 years. You think I’m stupid? I know what I’m saying. That boy is weak and is scared because if he loses to Teofimo Lopez, his career is done.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].
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