Unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) believes Josh Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs), the undisputed light welterweight champion is deciding to move up to welterweight for one reason- to avoid a fight.
After becoming the WBC, WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion at 140 with a unanimous decision win over José Ramírez (26-1, 17 KOs) last Saturday at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada, Josh Taylor expressed his desire to move up to 147 to square off against WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford.
“I’d like to go up to 147 and chase a real, real big fight like Terence Crawford,” Taylor said after the Ramirez fight, “I’m not going to call him out and stuff. I think he’s a great fighter, but I just think two undisputed champions going at it at 147 would be awesome, would be amazing.”
Meanwhile, Teofimo Lopez feels that Taylor’s reason for moving up a weight class and not focusing on 135 could be for one reason- the Scotsman is avoiding to step inside the ring against “The Takeover”.
They know I’m too fast, too smart, too sharp and too strong: Lopez
Speaking to media personnel prior to his open workout at the City Athletic Boxing Club, Lopez dropped the heat directly at Taylor for being “scared” to land a fight with him.
“I’ve been talking about it,” said Lopez, “let’s make it happen, yo. He’s talking about moving up to 147, which I figured, yo. They scared, man. They all scared.”
“That’s how I look at it, man. They know, man. I’m too fast, I’m too smart, I’m too sharp and I’m too strong,” the 23-year-old went on, “you know, and he’d (Taylor) rather go up at 147 because he’ll beat a lot of guys, he’ll be quicker on his feet and he’ll be able to handle himself more at 147.”
“I ain’t stupid, man. I see how the game go. But eventually, they gonna have to feel that pressure and I’m gonna come at them, too. Just like we asked about it with Loma (Vasyl Lomachenko),” Lopez acknowledged.
Coming off of a unanimous decision win over Lomachenko in October last year, the WBA (Super), WBO, and IBF titleholder is set to defend his belts against undefeated Aussie contender George Kambosos Jr on 19th June at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.
