Boxer Teofimo Lopez, who briefly retired after his win over Josh Taylor, has addressed concerns over his mental health and controversial comments, insisting there was a purpose behind his actions, and has stated his desire to fight Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.
Teofimo Lopez, the 26-year-old boxer, assures us there’s a method to his madness. He’s prepping for a Thursday night fight against Jamaine Ortiz in Vegas. He’s also addressing his brief retirement and mental health concerns following some eyebrow-raising comments.
Before his last victory over Josh Taylor, Lopez made some disturbing remarks. He accused his promoters at Top Rank of favoring “black fighters” and criticized the ESPN boxing commentary team. He was even caught on camera questioning his own abilities and making a shocking statement about what he loved about boxing.
Eight months since his last fight, Lopez is back. He’s responding to calls for him to step down against Taylor. According to him, everything he said had a purpose.
Lopez dismissed concerns about his mental health on The MMA Hour. He believes the boxing world doesn’t truly know him. He’s here to educate the next generation about the sport. He’s mastered one thing: working the media. He’s not afraid to act crazy or insane if that’s what people want to call him.
Lopez is putting on a show for the world. He’s unpredictable, which is part of the appeal. He encourages other athletes to do what they want. They hold the power, not the other way around.
His retirement announcement after his win over Taylor wasn’t a publicity stunt. He was serious about quitting, especially as he yearned for more family time. He compared boxing to the NFL, saying it’s getting scripted.
He missed his son’s first steps and crawls due to his boxing career. He wanted to embrace fatherhood, which he believes is the best hood. Now he’s back and excited to get back to work. His fight against Ortiz is just days away from the Super Bowl in Vegas.
Lopez feels he’s earned the right to compete on “the biggest stage”. He’s less thrilled about his opponent. He wants to face tougher competition, including a champion from a bigger division.
Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is the only guy on his hit list. Lopez believes Crawford has been avoiding dangerous fights and looking for injured opponents. He hopes Crawford hears his callout and accepts the challenge.
“Why can’t you fight me?” Lopez asked. “I’m new and I’m fresh and I’m clean. Why can’t we fight? Why can’t you shut up the young buck?”