Teofimo Lopez downplayed WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr’s recent fifth-round knockout win over Jin Sasasi on June 19th. Lopez noted that Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) had beaten an unknown fighter, and said there’s a reason he’s not mentioning his name.
(Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom)
It’s believed that Norman Jr. would jump at the chance to fight Teofimo Lopez, but the interest hasn’t been mutual. Teofimo has been too focused on fighting guys like Arnold Barboza Jr., Steve Claggett, and Jamaine Ortiz at 140. Those were safe fights for him. Facing Norman Jr. would be a potential disaster for Lopez.
“Yeah, but against who?” said Teofimo Lopez to Fighthype when told that Brian Norman Jr. looked good in his knockout victory over Jin Sasaki earlier this month on June 19th. “Anybody can look good until you take it to the next level. So, that’s why they’ve been talking about other fighters, and not Teofimo. I wonder why.”
Norman Jr. Too Dangerous?
It’s a bad fight for Teofimo because Norman Jr. has too much power and toughness for him. We’ve already seen Teo’s level with his struggles against Jamaine Ortiz, Sandor Martin, Steve Claggett, and George Kambosos. Lopez does poorly against pressure fighters. The guys he does well against are pure boxers, like Arnold Barboza Jr. and Josh Taylor.
“I might go to 147 or maintain and retain my belts at 140. I feel like at 140, I became undisputed. No one beat [Josh] Taylor. He was undefeated. He relinquished his belts, but he didn’t lose the belts, and he still had the lineal, which is the most important one. That’s the one I carry, and I’ve defended it three times now,” said Lopez.
If Teofimo does move up to 147, it won’t be to challenge Brian Norman Jr. for his WBO welterweight belt. If anything, Teo would fight someone like Ryan Garcia or the winner of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight.
The only way Teofimo moves up to 147 is if a big-money offer is made for him to fight someone he’s confident of beating. After the way he pulled out of negotiations for a fight against Devin Haney, he showed that he’s difficult to deal with.
No Big Fights at 140
There are no big-money fights at 140 unless Turki Alalshikh wants to finance a fight between Teofimo and Richardson Hitchins. It’s unlikely that Teofimo would agree to fight WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell, as he’s a pressure fighter with power. He’s all wrong for him.
Last Updated on 06/30/2025
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