Teofimo Lopez will defend his 140 lb title tonight on ESPN, as he takes on Jamaine Ortiz in a rare Thursday night showdown. One of the bigger story lines surround Lopez as of late has been him being quite vocal about calling out former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford.
While some might think that Lopez is only shouting the name for clout, he reminds Sky Sports that he’s not the kind of fighter who feigns interest in a fight for headlines, and that his reputation for seeking out top fighters and following through supports that.
“This is not a publicity stunt here. I think that if you look at my record and everything it shows, it shows that I really choose to face the best. Because that’s what ‘The Takeover’ is. What would I be if I didn’t do these things? Who would I be if I didn’t face the best? That is the only way I become greater.”
After besting Vasiliy Lomachenko at lightweight, Lopez would soon after take on the former undisputed 140 lb champion in Josh Taylor, where he scored a decisive victory. And now it’s only natural for him to look towards his next big challenge, his next source of motivation on his quest to become an all time great as he sets the standard for the next generation of fighters.
In the meanwhile he’s expecting to not only beat Jamaine Ortiz tonight, but do so in such fashion that he thinks he’ll end up scaring other top fighters away from him.
“They [other opponents] will not take this fight after what I do with Jamaine Ortiz. I’m not even in my prime,” he added. “I can say this, people that fear Satan – he got nothing on me. I’m going to terrify every single person.”
Should we have not seen the best from Lopez as of yet, we should be in for a real treat tonight.