Turki Alalshikh asked his followers tonight on X what they think of a fight between unified welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Teofimo Lopez. That’s a fight that would require two things to happen if it’s to happen next.
Turki wouldn’t be asking fans what they think of a battle between Ennis and Teo if he weren’t thinking of making that match happen quickly.
- Teofimo must defeat Arnold Barboza Jr. on May 2nd
- Ennis successfully defends against his WBA mandatory Shakhram Giyasov
Turki didn’t say when he could be considering a fight between Boots (34-0, 30 KOs) and WBO light welterweight Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs). For both, it can’t happen soon enough.
Ennis was elevated today to Super Champion by the WBA Championship Committee and has been mandated to defend against Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) within 120 days of his victory over Eimantas Stanionis on April 12th.
What do you think about a fight between Boots and Teofimo?
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) April 23, 2025
Boots’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, would likely be overjoyed at him facing Teofimo next instead of Giyasov. Not only is that a bigger-money fight against Lopez, but it’s easier for Ennis than facing the 2016 Olympic Silver medalist Giyasov.
Lopez doesn’t have an appealing fight in the immediate pipeline if he’s victorious against Barboza Jr. (33-0, 11 KOs) on May 2nd. His options are a unification match against IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins and Subriel Matias. Those are not big fights, and both would be risky for Teo.
Built-in Excuse
If Turki can set Lopez up for a fight against WBA and IBF champion Boots Ennis, it would be a bigger payday for him. Moreover, it provides Teo with a built-in excuse if he loses. He can always tell his fans that he was beaten by the #1 welterweight on the planet, Boots, and they would give him a free pass for his defeat. Lopez wouldn’t have that luxury if he loses to Hitchins or Matias.
Last Updated on 04/22/2025
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