Via Dan Ambrose: Teofimo Lopez Sr said his son Teo will be the undisputed champion in the lightweight division in 2023.
Teofimo, 25 years old, will fight next on December 10 with the former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs) on ESPN at Madison Square Garden in New York.
‘Sniper’ Pedraza isn’t an easy mark, and he could ruin things for Teofimo, and force Top Rated to make a tough decision about whether he’s worth keeping. .
Losing to Pedraza and George Kambosos Jr would be a signal that Teofimo is not the boxer Top Rank originally thought he was after a nasty win over the injured and much smaller Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020.
Former unified lightweight champion Teofimo (17-1, 13 KOs) will need to beat four different champions to accomplish that task.
Given the way he fell to a very average boxer at George Kambosos Jr last year, it’s hard to imagine Teofimo fulfilling his father’s vision for him.
Many boxing fans have concluded that Teofimo is a mental basket and is not left out to compete at the highest rungs of the sport.
Teofimo looked unimpressive on his 140-year-old debut against Pedro Campa last August. Although Teofimo stopped Campa in the seventh round, it was not an easy fight for him.
“Everything was beautiful. What could be better than coming back from a big win against Campa? He put on a good show. He showed everyone what he can do,” said Teofimo Lopez Sr. with AB Boxing News about Teofimo’s recent seventh-round knockout win over Pedro Campa last August.
“He is not only a smasher but also a boxer, and we aim for bigger and better things. For now, we’re just looking forward to going forward and trying to get the best matches.
“We definitely want Josh Taylor to fight right after Pedraza. We do not overlook Pedraza. We have to get past him first. A big arena, a big night. I know all Puerto Ricans will come to support him. It will be a great night.
“We all come from the same nationality. We’re all Latinos, and what better way than to come here and do it with Pedraza? He goes on the pitch and gives his all, and he accepts any challenge.
“He never backed down from anyone, and we were just here to put on a good performance. We will defeat the real Pedraza. We will defeat a hydrated Pedraza.
“We are going to beat an active Pedraza and we are going to show the world entertainment the way it should be. Ever since my son was little, I used to tell him: ‘You have to entertain the crowd.’
“We love to watch knockouts, and that’s what my son brings to the table. Come on December 10th, I want everyone to come. It’s going to be a big Latino night and you know why we all stick together. Let’s make this interesting, man.
“It’s about money. Between me and my son, we don’t look at that. We are here to be the undisputed backers. Whoever we have to overcome to get there, we will make it happen.
“We did it in 16 games, which I was predicting when he was in only seven games that he would be undisputed in the 16th when we beat Lomachenko. It happened just like I said.
“The funny thing is, I took my name out there. They call me Nostradamus for a reason. I predict my son will win twice before 2024. If not, 2024.
“It will be the undisputed two-time world champion at 135 and 140. The most exciting boxer right now is Teofimo Lopez,” said Lopez Sr.
