Mild welterweight champions Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) and Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) are near hammering out a deal for a struggle in Might or June. This may be one of many Riyadh Season occasions.
Subsequent Up: Hitchins
Ring Journal experiences that WBO champion Teofimo, 27, and IBF belt-holder Hitchins are almost finalized. This match has been mentioned for the reason that Brooklyn, New York native Lopez signed a three-fight take care of Turki Al-Sheikh.
It’s a deal that might finish in catastrophe for Teofimo, along with his profession dealing with oblivion if he loses all three fights for Turki, which is predictable. The concept has been floated is that Teofimo will run the gauntlet via these three fights:
Richardson Hitchins
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis – October
Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney – *losers bracket
If Teofimo sticks it out via these three fights with out Turki pulling the plug on him, it’s predictable that he’ll be 0-3, heading to the scrap heap career-wise. What shall be fascinating is to see which promoter is keen to signal Teofimo after he completes these three fights. He’d nonetheless be fashionable in an Adrien Broner-type of approach, however he could be seen as washed up by hardcore boxing followers.
Teofimo would nonetheless be capable of generate curiosity in his fights along with his trash-talking, however so far as beating any of the killers at 140, he’d be ineffective. You couldn’t put Teo in with guys like Ernesto Mercado, Barboza, Catterall, or Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela and anticipate him to be victorious.
Lopez is essentially considered now as a one-hit marvel, recognized for his victory over an injured, smaller, and far older Vasily Lomachenko in 2020. All the pieces Teofimo has performed since then has been dangerous.
Lopez has appeared one thing terrible in 5 of the six fights he’s had for the reason that Loma conflict and has been gifted a few choices towards Sandor Martin and Jamaine Ortiz. Maybe the unkindest minimize was Teofimo getting overwhelmed by George Kambosos Jr. That defeat put issues in perspective on how a lot harm Lomachenko did to the New Yorker.
Some followers really feel Lomachenko ruined Teofimo with the punishment he administered in that struggle. Though Teo gained by a slim determination, Lomachenko received his pound of flesh, leaving him wanting like a shell of his former self in fights since.
Dodging the Obligatory
The World Boxing Group just lately ordered Teofimo to defend towards the winner of the February 14th match between #1 Arnold Barboza Jr. and #2 Jack Catterall. Curiously, Teo has NEVER defended his WBO 140 gentle welterweight title since profitable towards a pale, shopworn Josh Taylor on June 10, 2023.
Nonetheless, with Lopez combating Hitchins in a unification struggle involving their two belts, Teofimo can circumvent the WBO’s order to defend towards the Barboza Jr-Catterall winner subsequent.
That’s a superb factor for Teo as a result of he would probably lose to both of these fighters, and that may ship his profession heading downhill, which it probably will do anyway after he finishes his three-fight take care of Turki.
He’s dodging a defeat towards that man however nonetheless dealing with a nightmarish three-fight gauntlet that may make him one of many untouchable class of fighters. Teofimo’s profession will implode like a submarine that has reached its crush depths within the ocean.
