Arum Eyes A Big Fight for Lopez; Wants Ennis

December 20, 2024
2 months
Arum Eyes A Big Fight for Lopez; Wants Ennis

Bob Arum is still hoping to secure Teofimo Lopez a big fight. 

Lopez is the current WBO Junior Welterweight Champion, a belt he defended successfully after beating Steve Claggett in his last fight. The Takeover has an impressive boxing resume, being a two-weight world champion and a two-time lineal champion. He has beaten some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor. However, Lopez has struggled to get the big fights since moving up to 140 pounds. A part of that has been Lopez’s evaluation of himself. After beating Taylor, he revealed that he would retire and only return for nine-figure paydays. 

Although Lopez did return, he did not secure the big purses he was looking for. Since the Claggett victory, he has called out several names: Gervonta Davis, Terence Crawford and Jaron Ennis. He has also been linked with a fight against Devin Haney. Arum responded by saying that Ennis was the primary target. Ennis recently won against his IBF mandatory Karen Chukhadzhian in his last fight. He was then linked with a move up to junior middleweight to take on Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Negotiations with Ortiz Jr. broke down after reports that Boots wanted the fight at 147. Ennis has come under heavy fire for not facing the big names. He has several unification opportunities at welterweight. He could make a fight with the WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. There is also the alternative of taking on the WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios

Arum Reacts

Ennis is entering into his prime as he currently is 32-0. There has come a point where he must get a big-name win on his resume. A victory over Lopez would do that, even if Teo would ultimately be coming up from 140 pounds. The Takeover has recently made changes in his training camp by adding Canelo Alvarez’s trainer, Eddie Reynoso. There is a perception that Lopez struggles to fight moving backwards, which Canelo has mastered. Reynoso will help him improve on that, as Arum wants his fighter to face the big names.

“We’re still pursuing that fight. We’d love that fight to happen. Our people are talking with the Ennis people. We want to do as big a fight as possible for Teofimo after the beginning of the year. If it’s Ennis (who Lopez fights next) the best place for that fight is Madison Square Garden. Well he’s so good they don’t want to fight him. I mean, we offered Haney the fight and Haney didn’t want it.

“So we’ll find the big fight for Teofimo, he’s a great talent, great personality and he’ll do very well both at the box office and on the PPV. Well, maybe Haney [is an alternative], I think. But he seems like he doesn’t have very much interest in the fight, Haney. I don’t know, we’ll see when we get back, we’ll all meet and decide who the best available guy is and that’s who he’ll fight,” Lopez said

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