“I Don’t Care”: Teofimo Lopez Claps Back at Bob Arum With Harsh Reality Check, Eyes Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz Next

Numerous people from the boxing fraternity have expressed their displeasure with Top Rank boss Bob Arum, claiming that his boxers aren’t receiving high-caliber matchups. One of them is WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. He will make his final appearance with Top Rank on July 6th when he takes on Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. On the other hand, WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez came off a unanimous decision victory against Steve Claggett on June 29th. And things are getting heated.

Following his win, the boxer has raised some concerns about his promoter Bob Arum, which has made boxing fans think that things aren’t all too well at the Top Rank stable. In addition, the boxer from Brooklyn, New York has also shared his intention to go up against Isaac Cruz next.

Teofimo Lopez calls himself the last star for Bob Arum

‘The Takeover’ was reigning the lightweight division until he faced an upsetting loss against George Kambosos Jr. in 2021. The boxer then moved up to 140 pounds to make a fresh start. He has been on a 5-fight winning streak in the 140-pound division until now. But his most recent win was merely an addition to his record; it wasn’t a particularly difficult battle for him. Although Claggett has been in 47 bouts, it was the first time for him to compete in a full 12-round bout. Is it because of Bob Arum that Lopez did not end up fighting a prominent boxer? It would be unjust to say that as of now. After his win over Claggett, Lopez stated, “You know, Bob(Arum) said I did well. He don’t look too happy…f**k it, I don’t care. Like, I’m your only last star available (at Top Rank). You just gotta deal with it.” 

Lopez feels that he is Arum’s last remaining star and that he has to live with everything the boxer says or does, given other fighters are quitting Top Rank. The 26-year-old fighter quickly rose to fame given his exceptional boxing prowess. He has defeated the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor.

It does make his case for getting a high-caliber opponent. The orthodox fighter has stated before that fighters are afraid of facing him. There have been talks of Lopez’s return in the latter part of the year, though. It’s interesting to note that fans should expect an intriguing matchup if Lopez’s proposal is carried out.

Takeover eyeing a big fight ahead

‘The Takeover’ has never shied away from taking a big fight. In his own words, he likes challenges. The boxer is keen to go up against WBA super lightweight champion Isaac Cruz next. Post fight, after his win, while talking to the press, Teofimo Lopez, when asked about the prospect of facing Pitbull Cruz next, replied, “Yeah, absolutely! He has a huge fan base and a huge following with the Mexican fans… I think of it as like a great opportunity, a great fight. And I’m sure he’s like he’s not afraid of that.”

Lopez has been open to face Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia inside the squared circle as well. However, these match-ups did not reach its fruition. Anyway, a clash against ‘Pitbull’ is also intriguing and something fans may be interested in watching. But as Lopez’s luck is assessed as per his past few opponents, we cannot be certain that it would truly come to pass. What are your thoughts about it? Will Bob Arum reach an agreement to make Teofimo Lopez fight Issac Cruz? More importantly, will Cruz accept the challenge? Please leave your comments below with your thoughts about it.