Even for a showman like Teofimo Lopez, this might not have been the kind of attention he hoped for. With less than a month remaining before his highly anticipated showdown against Arnold Barboza Jr., the light welterweight champion is once again making headlines. Not particularly for his boxing, though. Rather, a swiftly deleted social media comment that purportedly criticized the very team promoting his upcoming title defense.

Lopez, who often wears his heart on his sleeve, quickly changed his tune. Not long after airing his grievances publicly, he returned to Instagram with a dramatically different message. The time he showered praise on Turki Alalshikh’s organization. The contradictory posts come amid an already tense buildup to the Times Square event, which has seen a physical altercation between Lopez and Barboza. In addition to the two, ‘Fatal Fury: City of Wolves’ marks the return of big names like Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. Garcia will face Rolando Romero, while Haney takes on Jose Ramirez.

Teofimo Lopez and the social media misstep

The first sign of trouble emerged when ‘dantheboxingman’ shared a revealing screenshot on Twitter. It allegedly shows a conversation between Lopez and The Ring Magazine. As most fans know, Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season now owns the century-old publication. “Teofimo Lopez comments that he doesn’t like the promotion Turki is doing but then deletes the comment & comments the complete opposite after… …now if you look at the Ring post on IG, all of Teo’s comments are GONE‼️, said the boxing enthusiast.

So what did Lopez write? Tagging the Ring magazine, the world champion asked, “Do we have an undercard, or are we up first?!” If only he had stopped with the query. But no. Lopez had to highlight something he didn’t appreciate. “Also, the promotion you guys have been doing on our card has been sh*t (actually a poop emoji),” he wrote, tagging both The Ring and Turki Alalshikh.

Then, almost inexplicably, another screenshot surfaced showing a complete reversal. “May 2nd is going to be a super stardom night of boxing (boxing glove emoji). Great job, everyone, & HE @ringmagazine @turkialashikh,” Lopez declared.

The sudden change in tone must have left fans wondering. What prompted the backtrack? How closely he had been advised on the matter. Given how closely boxing fans monitor fighters’ social media activity, Lopez’s deleted rant didn’t escape scrutiny. Reactions flooded the comments, with many ridiculing the lightweight champion for airing grievances so publicly and then trying to erase them.

Complicating matters further is news that the May 2 fight could be an exclusive, invitation-only event. No general public tickets. The decision, if true, may potentially stir backlash.

Lopez’s recent form under the microscope

Hopefully Lopez’s focus remains on the big fight that’s lined up. His performances inside the ring have come under fire lately. His 2023 outings against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett drew criticism, with many questioning whether he’s still operating at an elite level.

On the other hand, Arnold Barboza Jr. has proven himself in tough matchups against Jose Ramirez and Jack Catterall. He earned this title shot. For Lopez, the stakes are arguably higher. A strong win could place him in line for a blockbuster bout against either Ryan Garcia or Devin Haney. Those are two names that bring both hype and high paydays.

But before that, Lopez must get past Barboza and, perhaps more importantly, stay out of his own way.

What do you think: Was Lopez simply voicing honest frustration, or did he underestimate how quickly fans catch deleted receipts these days?