By: Sean Crose
Former lightweight champion turned welterweight contender Teofimo Lopez had a few choice words to say to Drunk Punch. “I want to kill Josh Taylor,” he declared. Taylor will defend his WBO juniors crown when he takes on Lopez next month at Madison Square Garden in New York. It’s certainly been a fascinating fight, one to look forward to. While it is doubtful that Lopez intended to kill anyone, his comment drew attention – which is likely what the hardcore New Yorker has been up to all this time.
Lopez 18-1, who never shied away from the spotlight, clearly wasn’t interested in appearing moderate or behaving well ahead of his June 10 game against England 18-0 Taylor. “This is what we subscribe to,” he continued. “You might lose your life. What does it mean? If I die in that ring, then at least I die with dignity and integrity. I go out there as a fighter, as a champion that we are. That’s what I know, that’s what I signed up for. Boxing today is the gladiator days back then. A lot of people don’t know that, because they don’t know boxing.”
Lopez surprised many when he lifted most of the lightweight titles from Vasyl Lomachenko’s waist in 2020. Since then, however, the man has looked less than impressive in the ring. He lost the George Kambosos belt in his first defense and has since gone on to beat the likes of Pedro Campa and Sandor Martin, retired Mikey Garcia. While no one has called Campa or Martin lazy, there’s no doubt Lopez’s career has calmed down a bit since the man’s bold win over Lomachenko nearly three years ago. Until, he said he wanted to kill Taylor.
