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Sporting a darkish, scary vampire have a look at the Ring awards on Saturday, Teofimo Lopez says he selected to not battle Subriel Matias as a result of he didn’t wish to be a “step stool” to assist out the just lately crushed IBF mild welterweight champion.
He says Matias wouldn’t win the battle, and he didn’t really feel he had something to achieve by serving to the previous champ rebuild. Though Teo had been helped to rebuild after his loss, he didn’t see any level in aiding another person in the identical place he was in again in 2021.
Furthermore, Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) says he needed a “bigger guarantee” after High Rank promoter Bob Arum mentioned the battle wasn’t PPV-worthy. It’s unclear what sort of cash Teofimo, 27, was trying to get from High Rank as his “insurance,” however a deal couldn’t be made.
Teofimo is now sitting on the shelf with no battle, and he’s already been out of the ring for seven months since his tougher-than-expected victory over journeyman Steve Claggett on June twenty ninth final 12 months.
Lopez says Matias was the one choice that High Rank gave to him. It wasn’t “multiple options,” and he states that he “put his foot down” as a result of he’s uninterested in the “take it or leave it” fights which were provided to him.
“I feel like it’s a time for me to get bigger and better fights. Matias is trying to work back up from losing to Liam Paro in his home country,” mentioned Teofimo Lopez to Combat Hub TV about why he turned down a battle towards Subriel Matias. “I believe by doing so, why am I going to be the step stool for that man?
“He’s not going to win. In fact not. Bob Arum, the CEO of High Rank, talked about that battle just isn’t pay-per-view worthy. I agree. Bob Arum, the chairman, he said that. Whoever else was concerned on this state of affairs, they actually needed to push for PPV.
“I said if that’s the case, I need insurance. ‘Give me a bigger guarantee, and then we could start talking about making the fight. I’m ready to fight now.’ Things didn’t come out in terms. They knocked it down. They said I performed in bad faith for the fight, but in reality, they only gave us one option,” mentioned Lopez.
In hindsight, Teofimo made the appropriate determination to not take the battle with Matias (21-2, 21 KO) as a result of there was a superb opportunity that he would have misplaced to him. Matias would thrive towards Lopez’s preventing type, and he’s on one other stage to George Kambosos Jr, who proved to be Teo’s kryptonite.
The New Yorker Lopez can’t deal with strain fighters. We noticed that towards Kambosos, Jamaine Ortiz, and within the later rounds of his 2020 upset victory over Vasily Lomachenko in 2020.
“There were no multiple options of fighters, and they didn’t want to do unifications,” mentioned Teofimo about High Rank. “They didn’t want to pay certain fighters x amount of dollars. I just don’t understand. It feels like it’s a shot at me. I’m going to take it that way as an opinion of mine as my market.”
It’s comprehensible why High Rank wouldn’t pay an arm and a leg to arrange a unification battle for Teofimo towards one of many different champions as a result of it wouldn’t be PPV. He’s not fashionable sufficient, and the opposite champions at 140 aren’t large names.
The champions at mild welterweight
– Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela– Richardson Hitchins– Alberto Puello
“You’ve got to think of it as a business perspective, and I’m coming into this year,” mentioned Teofimo. “Wouldn’t you somewhat see it on lineal TV open to the general public somewhat than the primary 12 months of me coming again in 2025, I do PPV? Why would I cost you guys? You guys are there to observe us. It must be at no cost. ESPN and the community, they nonetheless get their lower, and so will we. Let’s depart it open for everybody.
“I just put my foot down. I’ve been doing ‘take it or leave it’ fights for you guys [Top Rank], and I just can’t do that anymore,” mentioned Lopez.