Teofimo Lopez Sr: Son still destined for greatness after loss

Teofimo Lopez Sr chalked up his son's lopsided loss to Shakur Stevenson as a mental breakdown and insisted the former undisputed lightweight champion will outlast his rivals over the next five years.

Speaking to Bad Left Hook ahead of Teofimo Lopez's August 22 title shot against Rolly Romero, the elder Lopez said the Stevenson defeat was a performance his son simply gave away. "It was a horrible fight, it was more mental, and it had a lot to do with the way they don't give my son credit for all the things that he has done," he said. "Not putting him in the P4P list, that you could say he was two-time undisputed... That hurts a boxer, mentally."

Lopez Sr predicts five-year reckoning for Stevenson

Lopez Sr went further, predicting Stevenson's career trajectory will stall while his son climbs back. "This is not a race, man. This is a marathon and let's see what happens five years from now. Let's see who's up top," he said, per the report. He added that Stevenson fights for vacant belts while Lopez chases champions, calling the Romero bout "our third title fight, for three divisions with a world champion" after wins over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor.

The trainer downplayed any awkwardness around facing Romero, a former sparring partner and family friend. "In the game of boxing there's no friends," he said. "When the time's up, everybody wants to know who's best." Lopez Sr said his son got the better of Romero in sparring sessions seven years ago but noted both fighters have changed since then.

Lopez and Romero meet at junior welterweight with a world title on the line in Las Vegas.

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• Bad Left Hook — ‘Let’s see who’s up on top five years from now’: Teofimo Lopez Sr says son still destined for greatness