Teofimo Lopez Sr has voiced concerns that his son, Teofimo ‘Teo’ Lopez, needs to secure a knockout against WBO light welterweight champion, Josh Taylor, this coming Saturday night. If he fails to do so, Lopez Sr fears the judges might unfairly lean towards Taylor. A knockout would serve as an uncontestable end to the match, leaving no room for debates on the outcome.
The fight between Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) and Teofimo (18-1, 13 KOs) is set to unfold at the iconic Madison Square Garden, New York.
Critics argue that Lopez Sr’s concerns of a biased judgement might be a ploy to pre-emptively rationalise a potential loss for Teo against the undefeated Taylor. They claim it’s a calculated move to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result.
It would be refreshing to see Lopez Sr demonstrate sportsmanship, should his son suffer a loss, rather than resorting to justifications or excuses. However, based on his comments about Teo’s injury in the previous fight against George Kambosos Jr, one might anticipate an excuse if the match does not go in their favour.
Tensions between both camps have been simmering leading up to the fight. Taylor is not pleased with Teofimo Jr’s comments about wanting to “kill” him, among other matters of discontent. Teofimo, on the other hand, tends to exaggerate his achievements in the ring, claiming he’s a former undisputed lightweight champion, despite never securing the WBC title.
Lopez Sr fuelled the pre-match banter at the final press conference, claiming that Taylor was frightened. “That lad is scared, I’m telling you. I can’t wait. He’s scared,” he declared. “This is all for entertainment. We must knock him out.”
“If we don’t land a knockout, they’ll rob us because no one wants to see us at the top. There’s a reason for everything, and this lad is running scared,” Lopez Sr continued.
“The lad doesn’t know what’s going to happen on fight night. But we do. My son is prepared and he’s going to send this Scottish lad packing. Did someone mention his kilt?”
The protective father dismissed Taylor’s prediction of a six-round knockout, questioning his contradictory concern about the nationality of the judges. “He’s talking about knocking my son out in six rounds, but at the same time, he’s concerned about all-American judges. So what is it, mate? Are you aiming for a six-round knockout, or are you worried about the judges?”
“You’re not making any sense. The lad’s scared already. And we’re not even at our peak yet. He’s only 25. He’s barely had 20 fights, and now he’s on track to becoming back-to-back undisputed. It’s incredible,” Lopez Sr added.
Taylor, on the other hand, embraced the challenge and the setting of the Madison Square Garden. “This is the stuff dreams are made of,” he said. “I’ve trained hard to knock him out. Every punch is thrown with the intent to inflict pain and cause damage. Yeah, I’ve got something in store for him.”
