WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is set for a major 2025 as he gears up to either become a unified champion at 140lbs or progress to the welterweight division in the hopes of becoming a three-division title-holder. However, ‘The Takeover’ may proceed with a new man by his side.
Lopez has always trained under the guidance of his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., and the duo were able to pull off one of the most impressive title fight upsets in recent memory when Lopez outpointed Vasyl Lomachenko to become the unified champion at a time when the Ukrainian appeared invincible.
The career of Lopez has been a rollercoaster one since, suffering a shock defeat of his own against George Kambosos Jr. before moving up to 140lbs and dethroning super-lightweight poster boy Josh Taylor, but underwhelming in two outings against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett since.
At 27-years-old, Lopez still has plenty of time to improve his consistency and his skills will surely develop even further with added experience, but his next step could be a career defining one. A similar performance to his latest outings in a super-lightweight title unification or welterweight title challenge would likely see Lopez handed a second career loss, although his ability to turn up when motivated on the big stage is one that simply cannot be taught.
With potential there for all to see, Lopez has turned to one of the most lauded trainers in the game, telling iFL TV that he has been working with Canelo Alvarez’s team and most notably Eddy Reynoso, but maintaining that his father will remain by his side and in his corner regardless of whether the move to Reynoso is made permanent.
“My father and Reynoso are talking together, and I think that is the best part. I don’t move nowhere without my father and my father has definitely pushed this move for me to go to Canelo’s camp. My father was there, and it has been great, so let’s see what happens.
“It is beautiful [working in Reynoso’s camp] because it is two great fighters, myself and Canelo. We talk, we exchange knowledge and things that he has learnt, things that I have learned and we go back and forth on it. I think that the best thing that I learned about it is that I am just warming up.
“It’s not just ego’s or pride getting involved, it is just two guys wanting to one-up the other and trying to learn from each other. Whether you want to say that that is the Latin community coming together, it is big and I am grateful Canelo accepted me to go to the camp and has done many times before.”
Lopez continues to hint at a move to 147lbs but should he remain at super-lightweight, it is likely that he would be forced to make a mandatory defence of his WBO crown against either Jose Carlos Ramirez or Arnold Barboza Jr. before unifications could become possible.
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