For boxing writers trying to publish greater than easy, boring combat stories, Teofimo Lopez is a present from the gods.
I imply, telling an viewers to “go suck a dick, no homo” after which following that up, seconds later, with “Jesus is actual?” Critically. That’s placing a 16-inch softball on a tee. And who quotes “Rosa Park” [sic] and (mis)quotes the traditional Egyptians, earlier than declaring that “Devil misplaced tonight” in that very same post-fight interview? From a purely egocentric perspective, all I can say is God bless that superb weirdo.
However, yeah, okay…the combat.
Dressed as a giant high ringmaster consistent with the promotion’s circus motif, Lopez made his ring stroll via a sword swallower and different assorted circus acts earlier than Thursday’s junior welterweight title combat on ESPN. High Rank live-tagged the defending WBO 140 lb. champ on social media with the daring “That is the Best Showman” as he smiled and glibly show-bizzed his means via the doorway.
However what ensued within the ring was much less Barnum & Bailey “Best Present on Earth” and extra just like the lame on line casino circus acts over the slot machines at Circus Circus.
Challenger Jamaine Ortiz fought in retreat over twelve rounds, however managed to negate every part that makes Lopez an entertaining fighter. Lopez, in the meantime, did nothing to show the tide on an opponent who was clearly centered on being a spoiler.
With nothing a lot actually happening, it didn’t take lengthy for the stressed 6,206 who paid to see this Tremendous Bowl week occasion on the scaled-down Michelob Extremely Middle in Las Vegas to begin voicing their displeasure. The boos rained down early and returned all through this combat that by no means really changed into a combat.
On the finish of the night, Lopez walked away with a unanimous determination, successful by two tallies of 115-113 and an I’m-giving-Teo-every-benefit-of-every-doubt 117-111 rating from decide Steve Weisfeld. Lopez most likely deserved the decision– barely so– nevertheless it’s laborious to care all that a lot about who will get his hand raised in a bout the place each fighters common about 6 punches landed per spherical.
Make no mistake about it, although, even with the official “W,” Teofimo walked away a giant loser on Thursday night time.
“Hey folks, folks! People, people, pay attention up, man. Pay attention up,” Lopez shouted throughout his in-ring post-fight interview as followers booed the choice.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, ya’ll can boo all you need. Suck a dick, no homo,” he added as father and coach Teofimo Sr. lamented with a ‘no, no, no, noooo’ off digicam. “Calm down, loosen up. Let me return on this, okay? We cannot, for one second, declare these folks, these fighters that don’t need to come and combat. You go to blood, sweat and tears. The three code of conduct. Sugar Ray Robinson award. In the event you ain’t prepared for this life, get the “f” outta my sport. I’m a champion. I bleed for this. I sweat for this. And I cry for this, each time. Jesus is actual and all I can say, could God giveth, God taketh, blessed be the identify of the Lord.”
If something showcased to the world Teofimo Lopez, the person, it was that jumbled mess of a post-fight monologue. Equal elements indignant, vainglorious, insecure, and delusional, the 26-year-old, who has plain world class capacity as a fighter, has usually been his personal worst enemy.
With superstardom aspirations and a profession trajectory that gave the impression to be taking him there up till late 2020, the Brooklyn-based fighter has self-sabotaged his rise to crossover success with poor selections and inconsistent ring showings. As soon as probably the most commercially promising of the younger crop of expertise from 135 to 140 lbs., he’s fallen behind all of them now and is definitely additional away from a giant ticket mega-fight than he was three or 4 years in the past.
Following a real breakthrough victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko in October of 2020 to seize the IBF, WBA, and WBO world light-weight titles, the younger fighter stalled contract talks with high contender George Kambosos Jr., forcing a handbag bid in hopes of a much bigger payday away from High Rank.
He obtained his want as upstart streaming service Triller would win the purse bid, thereby taking him away from his promoter and the all-important ESPN highlight for the primary title protection of his reign.
What ensued, although, was a mangled mess of incompetence and delays from Triller, which fumbled logistics at each flip and was finally compelled to forfeit its proper to stage the combat to second-highest bidder, Eddie Hearn.
By the point Lopez lastly obtained into the ring to face Kambosos, greater than 13 months after the Lomachenko win, he had suffered via one frustration after one other. He had contracted COVID alongside the way in which and walked into that preliminary title protection with a COVID-related and probably deadly pneumomediastinum bogging down his shedding efforts.
The loss would cease “The Takeover” in its tracks and ship Lopez as much as 140, the place a considerably uneven efficiency towards restricted Pedro Campa made method to a very unhealthy efficiency towards spoiler Sandor Martin, who many really feel deserved to take the choice. After that outing, Lopez was caught on digicam, clearly dejected, asking his folks if he nonetheless had “it.”
He would then perform a comeback of types by dominating a spiritless Josh Taylor, who as soon as upon a time was unified junior welterweight champ, however had slipped into inactivity and seemed remarkably NOT world class in his one bout since unifying the belts.
Teofimo was BACK…or, perhaps, not.
This Ortiz bout was alleged to be a showcase for Lopez’s principal stage, star-level chops as contemporaries equivalent to Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, and Devin Haney already flex their big-fight muscle mass. As a substitute, it affirmed his limitations and character flaws.
He can’t change issues up and make changes. He can’t lower off the ring and drive his will on an uncooperative foe. And when his failings are spotlighted for the world to see, he lashes out on the world, curls up behind comforting, however finally delusional ideas, and blames everybody however himself for the way badly issues turned out. It’s a sample we’ve seen a number of occasions already in his comparatively brief profession.
This brings into query why High Rank retains matching him with guys who will present the chinks in his armor and deflate his rise. Ostensibly, pitting a man who struggles with movers and spoilers towards movers and spoilers may very well be seen as a developmental technique, a method to have a fighter get higher at what he struggles with. However everyone knows that’s not how High Rank, nor boxing normally, works.
Headliners, two-division world champs with potential crossover star energy, will not be normally handled as works in progress on the pinnacle of their bodily prime atop ESPN reveals. At this level in Teofimo’s profession, the thought could be to make him look good and construct his model in pursuit of a blockbuster pay-per-view combat. High Rank, nevertheless, has endeavored to make him look unhealthy. Or, not less than, that’s the way it appears to be like.
Bob Arum and his matchmakers are geniuses at matching their fighters. They confirmed a few of that genius in pitting Keyshawn Davis towards a light, one-nudge-from-a-spectacular-fall Jose Pedraza on the Lopez-Ortiz undercard. It was a bout that promised menace to the younger Davis, however was actually a calculated gimme. It was traditional High Rank matchmaking and the sort of stuff that successfully builds stars.
So, the matchmaking mind belief at High Rank is aware of higher on the subject of matching Lopez.
It’s nearly as if the promotional firm is harboring a grudge towards Lopez, presumably for forcing that Kambosos purse bid again in 2021, which finally derailed their plans to construct his star the way in which they needed. Lopez has additionally taken a handful of mean-spirited pictures at High Rank in addition to ESPN over the previous couple of years.
Harboring a grudge towards the fighter you’re working to advertise could be an absurd thought, if Arum didn’t have a historical past of stepping on and smothering “uppity” fighters. This was demonstrated most just lately by his efforts to bury a vocal, dissatisfied Terence Crawford when he was beneath contract and his sudden lack of assist for Shakur Stevenson after Stevenson talked about his need to pursue free company when his contract expires later this yr.
However, regardless of the case, Teofimo Lopez is finally answerable for every part taking place with Teofimo Lopez.
The uneven performances, the lapses in judgment, the unwillingness to actually and really take the private stock wanted to develop as a fighter (and perhaps as a person). That’s all on him. And whereas Arum/High Rank might cover most of that in the event that they needed to with sensible promotion and intelligent matchmaking, they’re not doing so. They’re giving the younger fighter all of the rope he must figuratively grasp himself– and that’s precisely what he’s doing.
Obtained one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
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