Undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo ‘The Takeover’ Lopez 16-0 (12) is looking for a perfect performance against undefeated Australian George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos Jr 19-0 (10) to scare off potential challengers.
American Lopez, 23, will stake his world titles against IBF mandatory challenger Kambosos at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida on June 19. Kambosos earned his world title shot by defeating former IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby by split decision at Wembley Arena in London last October. That victory followed his split decision win over former IBF lightweight titlist Mickey Bey at Madison Square Garden in New York in December 2019.
Since defeating pound-for-pound level fighter Vasiliy Lomachenko 14-2 (10) by unanimous decision in Las Vegas in October last year Lopez has had a target on his back with super featherweights, lightweights and even junior welterweights calling him out.
Lopez says he wants to deliver the type of show against Kambosos that leaves his rivals questioning whether they really want to face him.
“One, it’s a different style, and two, it’s a less experienced guy, but he still knows what he’s doing,” Lopez said to FightHubTV.
“He has the number of years in the game. What I’m trying to do in this camp is perfect my craft so much that I look so invincible come June 5th that all these 135-pound guys in the division stay quiet.
“They don’t want to fight Teofimo again because of what he did. I’m going to keep putting it on each and every time, but we’re going to make those fights happen too. But right now, my main focus is George Kambosos.”
Triller, an American video-sharing social networking service, was the surprise winner of the purse bid for the Lopez-Kambosos fight with an offer of more than $6 million. That figure dwarfed the bids put in by Matchroom Boxing and Lopez’s own promoter Top Rank, who bid $3.5 million and $2.3 million respectively.
The company’s heavy investment in boxing signals a changing of the guard, according to Lopez.
“This is the new modern-day era. This is the modern-day era of the sport of boxing,” Lopez said. “Look what Triller is doing now. A lot of people don’t realize that. We’re collaborating with these artists.”
The confident Kambosos, 27, of Sydney has managed to get under Lopez’s skin, prompting the champion to predict a knockout within three rounds.
“I’m the best in the world,” Lopez said. “The Lomachenko fight elevated me. It didn’t lower me; it elevated me.
“When you fight the best, beat the best, you learn something from the best fighter and I learned a lot of tactics from [Lomachenko]. People said that he was a God and I did that.
“Kambosos is not Lomachenko, but I’m not going to overlook Kambosos neither.
“Everybody has a different style and one punch can change a whole fight. We all got a game plan until you get punched in the mouth.”
