From ‘trash’ and ‘garbage’, it was finally on to a confrontation. Yes, we are talking about the Teofimo Lopez–Terence Crawford feud. At the Canelo Alvarez–Edgar Berlanga PBC-Amazon Prime show, their hitherto online spats finally emerged from the shadows into a public confrontation. Thankfully, to everyone’s relief, things didn’t escalate. The light welterweight champion and the new light middleweight champion have been at loggerheads for some time. On June 29, Lopez defended his title for the second time this year.

He has been making his intentions clear—he wants a big fight next on his schedule. Amidst an array of names that cropped up, one that has caught everyone’s attention is that of Terence Crawford. Considering the fact where ‘Bud’ Crawford stands today, a match is a sure-shot way to a lasting legacy and a hefty payday. However, the Nebraskan Southpaw, who’s himself clamoring for a big fight against Canelo Alvarez, doesn’t appear too enthusiastic about the prospects. Following their recent face-off, fans saw Teofimo Lopez post a fresh message that might cause a few raised eyebrows.

Teofimo Lopez ‘Take(s)over’ fresh barbs

Toying with Terrence Crawford’s nickname, ‘Bud’, Teofimo Lopez compared the light middleweight with a tangerine— “That Bud 🍁 Sweet like tangerine 🍊.” Downplaying Crawford’s abilities, he suggested that the champion may not pose as much of a threat as everyone would like to think.

Actually, ‘The Takeover’ was responding to a post that appeared, taking a veiled jab at Terence Crawford. Considering the incident took place at the venue, the loud noise muffled much of the exchange that took place between the two champions. Nevertheless, the tweet filtered Crawford’s call out to Lopez: “Outside the ring.”

In response, ‘The Takeover’ could be heard saying, “Why? You scared the world will see me beat you. YOU SCARED!!!” The post described how Crawford initially disengaged only to make a comeback and point his fingers at Lopez’s face. The post didn’t spare Crawford’s fans either. They might have convinced themselves that Crawford was the one who emerged dominant in the situation.

The latest tweet from ‘The Takeover’ could be just another round in a long-drawn discourse. Before his first light welterweight title defense against Jamaine Ortiz, Teofimo Lopez called out for a fight with Terence Crawford.

The discordant trajectory

However, during the weigh-ins, when reporters checked the issue with ‘Bud’ who came to support friend Keyshawn Davis, they received a concise response, “F** Teo.” Subsequently following the fight, which saw Lopez struggling against an evasive Ortiz, Crawford made his thoughts more clear, calling out ‘The Takeover’ a ‘chump’. Then, ahead of his August 3 fight against Israil Madrimov, Terence Crawford labeled Teofimo Lopez ‘trash’, while sharing his views on a few other boxers of the era. But the disc didn’t take much time to reach Lopez’s ears. Through a tweet, he shot back, “If I’m trash, then you’re garbage.”

However, after the Madrimov fight, Lopez suggested a willingness to move up in weight for a big fight in 2025. He told BoxingScene, “Now that we have Riyadh Season in the mix, why can’t we make a Crawford and Teofimo fight happen? … Just send me the date. I am walking at 155 pounds right now. I can fight Crawford right now….look forward to facing him in the coming year.”

Thus, the latest potshot from Teofimo Lopez could spice up the ongoing fracas. However, many fans expect ‘Bud’ Crawford to come back with a potent riposte as well.

Do you think a Teofimo Lopez-Terence Crawford matchup makes good sense for boxing legacy?