Upbeat Teofimo Lopez wants to impress against Sandor Martin and remind peers how great he can be
He's racked up the wins and the championships at an impressive pace, but professional boxing hasn't always gone swimmingly for Teofimo Lopez. The former undisputed lightweight champion has been one of the sport's most gifted fighters, but he's been plagued by demons that have always left more questions than answers.
He suffered his first, and only, loss to George Kambosos last year, fighting despite a medical condition known as pneumomediastinum, which can be fatal. He should have pulled out of the fight and been treated by a doctor. Instead, he didn't want to disappoint his fans and went on with the bout.
He made his comeback on the heels of the end of his marriage. After he stopped Pedro Campa in the fifth round in August, he told Yahoo Sports there was plenty of apprehension going into that bout.
“I’m not going to lie, there was a lot on my mind,” Lopez told Yahoo Sports after the win over Campa. “I nearly almost died my last fight and that was weighing on my mind. I just had to clear it out. I’m not afraid to die, but the last thing I want to do is not have my son have a father. That was the only thing that was weighing on my mind, but I [felt I] had to get that guy out, somehow someway.”
On Saturday, he'll fight Sandor Martin, a Spaniard best known for upsetting former world champion Mikey Garcia at Madison Square Garden in New York. And Lopez has a different vibe around him, one that hasn't been felt since before he won the undisputed title in 2020 by beating Vasiliy Lomachenko.
"After COVID hit, a lot of things went down in my career," Lopez told Yahoo Sports. "Now, we're getting the ball rolling again. I'm so happy. I'm happy with Top Rank. I'm happy with ESPN. Everyone is playing along, everyone is being a team player. That's what it's about. I want to make these fights happen for the fans and the boxing community around the world. I feel great going into this, better than I have in a while to be completely honest with you."
There's always been a lot of turmoil swirling around him, particularly in his relationship with his father, who also trains him. He won despite that until it all got to be too much prior to the Kambosos fight. He's so naturally gifted, and such a big puncher, that even when he's not at his absolute peak, he's better than most.
With a serious health condition, difficulty making weight, turmoil in his corner and his marriage falling apart, it finally brought Lopez to his knees.
He has seemed much happier and optimistic heading into Saturday's bout, and promoter Bob Arum, who celebrated his 91st birthday Thursday, said he likes what he has seen this week of the man who refers to himself as "The Takeover."
"I'm not a psychiatrist, but from what I observed of him, before the press conference and during it, he seems to me to be a guy who has his s**t together," Arum told Yahoo Sports. "I watched him very closely at the press conference and I have to tell you, I've never seen him that articulate and that collected. What does it mean? Who the hell knows? But it has to be a good sign, I think. He appears like he's done what he needs to do to get ready and he's anxious to perform. But we'll see."
From the time he turned pro following the Olympics in 2016, Lopez has always spoken of being eager to fight the elite at his weight class. In 2018, he did an interview with Yahoo Sports in which he said he believed that within five years he'd have defeated Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis and be the most accomplished fighter from his Olympic class.
He won the undisputed lightweight title, though he's yet to fight Haney, Garcia or Davis for reasons that have nothing to do with him. But he still wants those fights, as well as a bout with new WBC super lightweight champion Regis Prograis, former undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor and former unified champion Jose Ramirez.
"I'm ready for 'The Takeover, Part 2,'" Lopez said. "This time, it's about starting a new movement and beating every guy they put in front of us. Devin Haney is the guy at 135 and that's great, kudos to him. I was the guy at 135, but now it's all about moving up to 140 and taking out the guys who have the titles and the guys the people say are the best. Regis Prograis just won that title and it was a great job by him and a great fight. It's about pushing these great fights."
Lopez said if he wins on Saturday, he has big plans for 2023.
"God willing I win [on Saturday]. I don't want to say who I want to face in April next because I want everyone to tune in [to watch the Martin fight]," Lopez said. "If I say who it is I want to fight in April, it'll blow up and it won't be about my fight against Martin. But I'm optimistic, and after I win, the world will all find out who is next at the same time."
