Teofimo Lopez Refuses To Overlook Steve Claggett – ‘This Is Definitely A Tough Fight’
Teofimo Lopez has said he is not overlooking Steve Claggett.
Lopez defends his WBO Junior Welterweight Title, which he won against Josh Taylor. He defended it successfully in a controversial unanimous decision win against Jamaine Ortiz. Lopez was trying to secure the big fights, with names such as Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Subriel Matias being mentioned. However, none of those came to fruition, as Lopez will now face Claggett. Claggett’s record is 38-7-2. He has won his last nine fights. Seven of those wins were by stoppage. But at the elite level, he has fallen short. His biggest test came against former welterweight contender Chris van Heerden. However, he suffered a majority decision loss. And yet, Lopez is not looking too far ahead.
Lopez Reacts
“I pick those types of fighters to bring the best out of me. I want to see what more I can do. The other champions in my weight class, even though I’m the lineal and #1 in the division, want to unify these guys…I’m looking forward to a great match-up.
“We have the best matchmakers in the world. They know what they see and what’s going to come on June 29th. Steve Claggett is a high guard and come-forward pressure fighter. The guy doesn’t stop throwing punches, coming forward, and the guy doesn’t take breaks. These guys are not easy fighters at all. It’s not easy. They’re tough, tough, difficult fighters,” Lopez said
Lopez can learn from the mistakes of others in the 140-pound division. Devin Haney called Ryan Garcia a C-level fighter before their match-up. That backfired, as Haney was dropped three times on his way to a unanimous decision loss. While Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, the result became a no-contest, and Haney’s commercial value was damaged.
Lopez’s Future
Subriel Matias was also seen as the avoided man in the 140 division. However, he lost to Liam Paro in a defense of his IBF belt. Lopez knows he cannot afford to do the same since he is wanting to fight Terence Crawford at 147. That could only happen if Lopez continues winning. He has shown he performs best at the elite level. He defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor. But when it came to boxing, George Kambosos Jr. came up short. Although Lopez struggles to get the big fights, he is focused on getting the win.
“We want to make these bigger fights. However, they have their agenda. They have their plans for their fighters. All I can do is stay active. That’s the main part about everything that I need right now. If I’m not well-prepared, this is definitely a tough fight. This will look bad on my record if things go his way. Having that championship mentality, I believe I’m going to win with flying colors,” Lopez stated
Lopez talked up a similar game plan when he faced Ortiz. But Ortiz was outboxing Lopez, who only won because he landed more power shots. That may have given Claggett confidence, knowing that there is a blueprint on how to trouble Teo. However, he must add some offense to get a win with the judges.
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
