Teofimo ‘The Takeover’ Lopez 16-0 (12) is not ruling out a fight with Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney 26-0 (15) but says the bout would likely take place at junior welterweight.
The IBF, WBA, WBO and WBC Franchise champion is set to defend his belts against 28-year-old Australian George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos Jr 19-0 (10) at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night.
But Lopez already has one eye on other challenges, including a move up to the 140-pound weight class where Scottish southpaw Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor 18-0 (13).
“A bout with Haney is possible. The whole thing is they got to see me,” Lopez said to Boxing Social. “I’ve been staying at this weight for too long. I’m starting to realise some things, man.”
Lopez will be making the first defence of his unified championship after defeating three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko 15-2 (11) on points in October last year. Kambosos has also been out of the ring for the same time.
Lopez has long been critical of the way the undefeated Haney, 23, came into possession of the WBC regular lightweight bout.
After defeating Zaur Abdullaev 14-1 (8) for the interim title in September 2019, the WBC elevated him to full champion status ahead of his clash against Alfredo Santiago 13-2 (5) two months later.
It is a decision that sticks in the craw of Lopez, who believes he deserves to be recognised as the undisputed lightweight champion of the world.
“First of all, you didn’t really earn the [WBC] belt or fight for the belt. You got it delivered through email,” Lopez said of Haney.
“Second, I’ve been at this weight for eight years now. I’ve been waiting for a whole year, two years, just to get a call from any of those guys. They haven’t presented themselves, so I feel like nobody wants to come to me because I’ve got all the belts.
“So, maybe if I drop all of the belts, let’s see how confident they all get then. Let me get that fight [against Haney] at 140. Yeah, come see me at 140. Why am I going to fight somebody that hasn’t even earned the belt? He hasn’t even fought for a world belt.
“He doesn’t even know what it feels like to earn it. You got it delivered via email, bro.
“I earned all these belts, man. For everybody that is supporting Devin Haney, you fake too. I don’t like y’all. What do you think I’m going to do?
“I’m ball-hogging this one. I ain’t going to pass it to none of y’all and that’s what I’m looking forward to, man.”
A fight against Haney will be contingent on him defeating southpaw Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz 32-1-1 (15) in their upcoming bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 4.
