“I’m Not Here to Be Slaved”: Teofimo Lopez Reveals Floyd Mayweather’s Role in Manipulating the Game With His “Publicity Stunt”

As much as boxing is about what fighters do inside the ring, it’s also about what they do outside. Sometimes, the only way to make the most money in the sport is to play some mind games. Teofimo Lopez did the same when he decided to retire from the sport after defeating Josh Taylor back in June last year. And in a recent interview, ‘The Takeover’ claimed Floyd Mayweather inspired him!

True to his moniker, there is no one better than ‘Money’ Mayweather to produce the best-selling fights. His enormous wealth is the evidence of the same. So, the WBO super lightweight champion spilled the beans on how Mayweather manipulated the system in an interview with Cigar Talk today!

Teofimo Lopez confirms his retirement was a publicity stunt

Speaking to Naji, Lopez revealed he spoke to Floyd Mayweather during the Shakur Stevenson vs. Edwin De Los Santos fight. “Me and him just going back and forth, and we were just laughing because we were just like how we manipulated the game,” said Lopez. Seeing how Floyd made himself the public enemy number one, he tried to do the same in his career.

“How did he navigate to have everyone make him public number one enemy? So, just doing those things, you kind of grasp into it. I retired. Retirement boosted this to be what it is today,” Lopez confessed. The statement left Naji shocked as he tried to confirm the words coming out of Lopez’s mouth.

“Yeah, it was a publicity stunt. It’s just using the bad [for] your own benefit. And that’s what Floyd did when he beat Ricky Hatton. And he retired for two years [and] came back as ‘Money May,’” Lopez confirmed. He went on to suggest that he needed to learn how to play the system to his benefit, as Floyd did. 

Teofimo Lopez even claimed that when “you know you’re the king and you know you are the man, you don’t have to prove anything no more.” According to Lopez, once he reached a certain level, he didn’t have to play according to the network’s wishes. “You just got to show the networks and everyone else that nah, hold your pace, I’m not here to be slaved on,” said Lopez.

Also Read: Shakur Stevenson Asks Top Rank for Teofimo Lopez Fight; Gets Behind Keyshawn Davis to Fire Shots at Him

Having retired before from the sport at the age of 25, Teofimo Lopez claimed Floyd Mayweather was his inspiration to pull the publicity stunt. However, whether it proves to be as successful as Mayweather’s tactic is yet to be seen. Were you aware of Lopez’s tactics when he retired? 

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