Teofimo Lopez: Top Rank Wasn’t Protecting Me From Barboza; I Was Calling The Shots; Didn’t Make Sense At That Point; Who Is He?
NEW YORK – Teofimo Lopez laughed at the contention his longtime promoter, Top Rank, protected him when it came time to fight Arnold Barboza Jr.
Barboza has been Lopez’s mandatory challenger for over a year, so long that Barboza switched promoters, from Top Rank to Golden Boy, since the WBO appointed him as such. The unbeaten Barboza defeated former WBC/WBO 140-pound champ Jose Ramirez and British contender Jack Catterall on points in his last two bouts to finally force the sport’s powerbrokers, in this case Turki Alalshikh, to put together a showdown with Lopez.
Las Vegas’ Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) will defend his Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles against Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs), of El Monte, California, on May 2 as part of The Ring’s “FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves” tripleheader in iconic Times Square.
“It’s a good matchup, good fight, fire with bigger fire,” Lopez told The Ring before a press conference Tuesday at Palladium Times Square. “But I’m just here to flow wit’ it, to be water at the same time, and kinda steam it up. But, you know, the real job is May 2nd. That’s really what my whole purpose of this is. … I’m just excited, thankful and ready to kick ass May 2nd.”
Barboza blasted Lopez during the press conference for avoiding him when they competed beneath the same promotional umbrella.
“Top Rank didn’t protect me from him,” Lopez explained to The Ring. “It’s just I was calling the shots in Top Rank’s office. It’s not protecting. It didn’t make sense at that point. Who is he? I mean, after 32 professional fights you just get your first interim world title? My 15th pro fight, I had my first world title.
“It’s a big difference. You know what I’m saying? Half of all his fights, I’ve accomplished more. And I’m looking forward to doing more this year, especially with the phenomenal team I have alongside of me – [co-managers] Mike [Borao] and Keith Connolly – I think it’s gonna be great.”
Lopez will end a 10-month layoff when he boxes Barboza, who will have faced three of The Ring’s top 10 junior welterweights within a five-month span once he opposes Lopez.
“I haven’t seen his fight with Catterall,” Lopez said in reference to Barboza’s split-decision victory February 15 in Manchester, England. “I heard it was back and forth. It was a close fight. I could [not] care less. Now he’s gonna find out why things happen the way they do, and why people actually end up trying to run away from me when they feel my punches. But nevertheless, can’t rely on that. Gotta rely on my skills.”
The brash Lopez, whose boisterousness bothered Barboza before, during and after the press conference, knew he and Barboza would eventually square off if they kept winning.
“I think things progressed that way, just the way the boxing business is,” Lopez said. “I think Barboza has been asking somewhat for me, so I think it was just gonna line up that way eventually, with the WBO and having him as my mandatory. So, it’s business. I’m sure they have hopes of Barboza possibly beating me and becoming the new face of the 140 division.”
Keith Idec is a staff writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.
