Home Boxing News Teofimo Lopez wants Vasyl Lomachenko later this year

Teofimo Lopez wants Vasyl Lomachenko later this year

Teofimo Lopez
Photos Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Exciting lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez 12-0 (10) is targeting a shot at unified lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko 12-1 (9).

But first the talented 21-year-old Brooklynite must get past Edis Tatli 31-2 (10) on the undercard of the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan world title fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 20.

Lopez insists he is already developed enough to take on the best at 135-pounds.

“Of course I’m ready, I believe that I am a world champion I just don’t have the belt yet,” Lopez said to Boxing News. “Absolutely. I think the thing is that people put too many fighters on a pedestal too high.

“When it comes to beating [Lomachenko], when we fight, I’ll show everyone what it is, how to beat this guy. He’s been beaten before so why can’t I beat him again?”

The plan is for Lopez to pick up one of the other world title belt at lightweight first.

“I’ve got this fight first to show everybody again,” Lopez said. “I believe hopefully after this fight, it could be against [IBF champion] Richard Commey, it could be against [WBC champion] Mikey Garcia.

“I think they’re going to wait till the end of the year for me and Lomachenko to fight. It’s just having faith and all that I’ve been doing and all that I’ve been through and stuff like that is leading me to this path, leading me to the glory.”

Lopez says his style is a blend of the best boxers of the past.

“My style and everything I just learned from watching so many great fighters; Roy Jones Jnr, Pernell Whitaker, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, the list goes on and on and on. We shake it up and you get Teofimo Lopez,” he said.

“Things that take months to learn, I learned in weeks, like the speed bag, the jump rope, the footwork, the drills, I learned it in weeks not even months.”