World light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez is refusing to look any further than beating Arnold Barboza Jr. as he bids to take another step towards greatness. The 27 year-old native New Yorker (21-1, 13 KOs) will fight Barboza in New York City's Times Square on Friday night in a DAZN pay-per-view triple-header. Ryan Garcia takes on Rolando Romero in the headline bout with Devin Haney then clashing with Jose Ramirez . Should Garcia and Haney prevail in their respective bouts, they are expected to have a rematch having previously met last year. Lopez, though, is open-minded about his next fight should he take the win against Barboza Jr.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with DAZN, the 140-pound champion said: “What’s next for me? I just gotta do what I gotta do on May 2 and we go from there. I don’t know. A lot of people talk, definitely, but when it gets to the paperwork and the point of it – and to the times of making things happen – something always happens. My main focus is just on performing at my best on May 2nd. Everything else will follow through after that.”
Barboza Jr is on a hot streak with wins over Ramirez and Jack Catterrall, but it does not faze Lopez. He confidently declared: “I don’t need to show anybody anything. I’ve just got to prove myself right that I’m greatest and no matter what, my time’s going to come, whether it’s May 2 or in the next fight after. I’m just looking to do better.”
Lopez, also a former world lightweight champion joked that he had chips on “both shoulders” but said he was feeling good within himself as he prepares for his huge clash with Barboza. “I’m happy and it’s a common thing that, when you feel good and look good, you fight great,” he said with a huge smile. “That’s the mentality we’ve been on and I’m going to keep carrying that the whole way, throughout my whole career because I’ve got ten more years at this. I don’t want two lineal [championships] – I want a third one and I need to be three-time lineal world champion, at 28, and in three weight divisions.”
Terence Crawford is one of the greatest fighters of the past decade, winning world titles in four weight classes in addition to the undisputed world championship at super-lightweight as well as welterweight. Yet Lopez reasoned: “Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is arguably the number one pound-for-pound fighter on everybody’s list. He did it at 35 and I did it at 25 with two lineal world titles – we’re a decade ahead of everybody. Even your own pound-for-pound number one guy in the world, we’re a decade ahead of them. That’s a fact and I did it and I know that, but now is the time to start inspiring more people out of this. The only way is with these fights.”
How does he beat Barboza? “Just a lot of faith and no fear,” he replied.
