Teofimo says he doesn’t care that his promoter Bob Arum didn’t look elated after his win over Steve Claggett last Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Fla. Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) said he doesn’t care that Arum wasn’t excited about his performance because it’s his “.”
Lopez dismisses Arum’s concerns
Teofimo is a rather faded star that has gone supernova and is on its way out. He doesn’t realize it, but with his keen eye, Arum must have already suspected that Teofimo had reached his life cycle and was now a dying star, kept alive only by Arum’s best matchmakers in support of Teo.
Given Teofimo’s dwindling profits, it’s doubtful whether Arum will want to continue promoting him for much longer. Lopez’s fights with Claggett, Jamain Ortiz and Sandor Martin showed that he lacked the talent to beat top-shelf fighters at 140 pounds.
Arum’s idea to pair Teofimo with BrianNorman Jr. at welterweight it would have vaporized his career. This is another example of a former weight bully not being the same fighter in a different division.
Moving up to 147 pounds would be unwise if Teofimo doesn’t have the strength and talent to excel in that weight class without the protection of Top Rank. If Arum follows through with his idea of starting a brawl between Teofimo and Norman, it won’t end well for the Novel Yorker.
140-pound division: a dead end?
Since moving up to 140 in 2022 after six years fighting at 135, Lopez has knocked out just one of his five opponents, veteran Pedro Campa. Moreover, Lopez has only looked good in one of his five fights against a faded Josh Taylor.
Lopez defeated Catterall (38-8-2, 26 KOs) – a Rocky-esque title contender – by unanimous decision after 12 rounds, winning by scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109. However, Arum was likely banking on a knockout victory and a more impressive performance from the 26-year-old Teofimo, who has shown further signs of regression as a fighter.
“Vertical [Arum] he said I did well. He doesn’t look too elated. f**k it, I don’t care. Like, I’m your last available star. You just have to deal with it,” Teofimo Lopez told the press, saying his promoter Bob Arum has to put up with his needy performances, like the one he put up with last Saturday night against Steve Claggett in Miami, Florida.
Teofimo should be worried that Arum won’t be elated with his performance because he’s the one who pays him well artificially support of his dying career, juxtaposing it with gentle touches. Without Arum’s continued protection, Teofimo will suffer repeated losses and be released by Top Rank.
Teofimo’s diminishing power
“He’s talking about moving up to 147 pounds, which I really don’t advise,” boxing expert Chris Algieri said. Fighting with excitement on Teofimo wanting to move up to welterweight. “He didn’t show the same power he had at 135 and 140. He’s 5-0 at 140 and has only one KO, and that was against Pedro Campa early on. Still, it was more of an exhaustion than a single shot.
It’s clear from Teofimo’s last two fights at 140 pounds that he doesn’t have the strength to move up to 147 pounds and has no intention of unifying at welterweight as well. WBC 140-pound champion Alberto Puello would be a nightmare for Teofimo. The remaining champions, Isaac Cruz and Liam Paro, would be equally threatening.
“I think there is a chance for unification [at 140]. I would favor him over all other champions in the weight class,” Algieri said of Teofimo. “I think it would be a good idea if he went to collect belts. Finally, he said that seat belts are crucial. So it would make sense for him to go pick up some belts.
Arum’s complex choice: protect or abandon?
Arum likely won’t be interested in pairing Teofimo with any other 140-pound champion, as those 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 bet for Teofimo, it will be against one of his best fighters. This way, if Teofimo loses the fight, Aruma will not suffer a loss. He will still come out on top.
“Not only are the guys going to be bigger, but he’s going to have to fight 12 rounds every time,” Algieri said of what Teofimo will have to face if he moves up to 147. “You don’t want those massive guys beating you. If you have a guy at 147 who does what Steve Claggett does, it’s going to be a very complex night for Teofimo Lopez.”
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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