Teofimo says he’s not bothered that his promoter, Bob Arum, didn’t look happy after his victory over Steve Claggett last Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) stated that he didn’t care that Arum wasn’t excited about his performance because he’s his “Last star.”
Lopez Disregards Arum’s Concerns
Teofimo is more of a faded star who has gone to the supernova stage and is on his way out. He doesn’t realize that, but with his keen eye, Arum must already suspect that Teofimo has reached his lifecycle and is now a dying star and only being kept alive by Arum’s Top Rank matchmakers propping Teo up.
Given Teofimo’s diminishing returns, it’s questionable whether Arum will want to continue promoting him for much longer. Lopez’s fight against Claggett, Jamaine Ortiz, and Sandor Martin shows he lacks the talent to beat top-rung fighters at 140.
Arum’s idea of matching Teofimo against Brian Norman Jr. at welterweight would evaporate his career. He’s another example of a former weight bully who isn’t the same fighter in another division.
It would be ill-advised for Teofimo to move up to 147 because he lacks the power and talent to excel in that weight class without being protected by Top Rank. If Arum goes ahead with his idea of setting up a fight between Teofimo and Norman, it won’t end well for the New Yorker.
The 140-lb Division: A Dead End?
Since moving up to 140 in 2022 after campaigning at 135 for the first six years, Lopez has only knocked out one of his five opponents, journeyman Pedro Campa. Moreover, Lopez has only looked good in one of his five fights against the washed Josh Taylor.
Lopez defeated the Rocky-esque fringe contender Catterall (38-8-2, 26 KOs) by a twelve-round unanimous decision, winning by the scores 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109. However, Arum was likely hoping for a knockout victory and a more impressive effort from the 26-year-old Teofimo, who showed further signs of regressing as a fighter.
“Bob [Arum] said I did well. He don’t look too happy. f*** it, I don’t care. Like, I’m your only last star available. You just got to deal with it,” said Teofimo Lopez to the press, talking about his promoter Bob Arum needing to put up with his lackluster performances like he showed last Saturday night against Steve Claggett in Miami, Florida.
Teofimo should be concerned about Arum not being pleased with his performance because he’s the one who is paying him well to artificially prop up his dying career by matching him against soft touches. Without Arum’s further protection, Teofimo will suffer repeated losses and be cut loose by Top Rank.
Teofimo’s Diminishing Power
“He’s talking about going to 147, which I really don’t advise,” said boxing expert Chris Algieri to Fighthype about Teofimo wanting to move up to welterweight. “He hasn’t shown that same power that he had at 135 at 140. He’s 5-0 at 140 and he only has one KO, and that was against Pedro Campa early on. Even that, it was more of an attrition than a single shot.”
It’s clear from Teofimo’s last two fights at 140 that he doesn’t have the power to move up to 147, and he’s not going to unify in the light welterweight division either. WBC 140-lb champion Alberto Puello would be a nightmare for Teofimo. The other champions, Isaac Cruz and Liam Paro, would be just as dangerous.
“I think he has an opportunity to unify [at 140]. I’d favor him over all the other champions in the weight class,” Algieri said about Teofimo. “I think it would be a good idea for him to go collect some belts. He said at the end that belts are important. So, it would make sense for him to go collect some belts.”
Arum’s Difficult Choice: Protect or Abandon?
Arum probably won’t be interested in putting Teofimo in with any other champions at 140 because they wouldn’t be big-money fights, and the odds of Teo winning those matches would be low.
If Arum sets up a fight that isn’t another sure-thing gimme for Teofimo, it’ll be against one of his Top Rank fighters,]. That way, when Teofimo loses the fight, Arum’s company won’t suffer a loss. He still comes out ahead.
“Not only are the guys going to be bigger, but he’s going to have to go 12 rounds every time,” said Algieri about what Teofimo would be up against if he moves up to 147. “You don’t want those big guys thumping on you. If you’ve got a guy at 147 that does what Steve Claggett does, it’s going to be a very difficult night for Teofimo Lopez.”
