What’s Next for Teofimo Lopez? Five Potential Opponents for Next Fight After Lopsided Win Against Steve Claggett

Teofimo Lopez did what everyone expected him to do—the WBO and Ring Magazine title holder defeated Canadian Steve Claggett via a unanimous decision to defend his titles for the second time. Lopez showcased his usual blend of speed, power, and tactical prowess, dominating Claggett from the opening bell and leaving no doubt in the judges’ minds. However, now the question on everybody’s mind is, what’s next for ‘The Takeover’? 

Will he aim for unification bouts against other super lightweight champions, step up in weight class to seek new challenges, or perhaps take on high-profile contenders to solidify his legacy? The boxing world eagerly awaits his next move. The good news is, the Brooklyn, New York native answered this question on his own! Here are five potential opponents for Teofimo Lopez after his one-sided win against Steve Claggett tonight.

Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: A super lightweight stunner

‘The Takeover’ started his takeover of the super lightweight division after defeating Josh Taylor last year, acquiring the WBO strap. However, if he wants to continue his dominance in the division, he needs to start unifying the belts by taking on all the champions. And perhaps no one would be a better fit than Isaac Cruz!

The WBA super lightweight champion is coming off a dominant victory over Rolando “Rolly” Romero earlier this year and is about to enter the ring against Jose Valenzuela on August 3rd. So, when Cruz is done with that fight, a fight early next year would make all the more sense. Not to mention, Lopez has expressed interest in the fight. 

During the media day workout for the Claggett fight, Lopez reacted to a potential fight against Isaac Cruz, saying, “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…” It’s an attitude he maintained even after the fight, so it’s very likely that a fight against Cruz may happen.

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford: Hoping for the best!

Lopez just arrived at the 140-pound division after winning IBF, WBA, and WBO belts in the lightweight division. He currently has the WBO strap in super lightweight division and is planning on climbing to welterweight. After defeating Claggett, Lopez said in the in-ring interview, “Although it doesn’t look like I can handle my own at 147, I believe I can. I truly believe I can and I want these great champions.”

Not to forget, he called out Terence Crawford before the fight as well. But the problem with this potential matchup is – Crawford is climbing as well. His upcoming fight on August 3rd is against Israil Madrimov at light middleweight. So, for the fight to happen, Lopez will have to climb to 147 lbs and Crawford has to come down to 147 lbs, which is highly unlikely because he is planning on going to 164 lbs to fight Canelo Alvarez next year. 

Despite this, there is a sliver of possibility that a fight between Lopez and Crawford could happen, but the weight class where the fight could happen is up in the air. Despite this, per a report from The Ring Magazine, Lopez is adamant about facing Crawford. He said, “I want Terence Crawford. That’s the goal. I don’t know, I don’t care who has the 147-pound belts. All I want is the guy with The Ring belt and that’s Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.”

Liam ‘The Prodigy’ Paro: Vengeance

In November 2021, one Australian (George Kambosos Jr.) took Lopez’s belt, and now Lopez has the opportunity to regain respect by going back to Australia. Liam Paro, the new IBF super light champion, is undefeated and is coming off the biggest win of his career against the boogeyman of the division, Subriel Matias. His last putting proved he has what it takes to dance with the elites in the division. 

So, if Lopez wants to prosper in the division, he will have to cross paths with Paro sooner or later. Since Paro is all the hype after defeating Matais earlier this month, it would be the perfect opportunity for ‘The Takeover’ to take over Australia and get one step closer to being a unified champion. The best part is, that this fight could happen in the confines of this year, which fans will love.

Alberto ‘La Avispa’ Puello: Opportunity of a lifetime

With Devin Haney declared as the champion in recess, the WBC super lightweight belt is now vacant and Alberto Puello will face Sandor Martin to get the belt. This gives Lopez the opportunity to challenge the winner to unify his belts in the division. 

Puello is undefeated and is coming off a split-division win against Gary Antuanne Russell earlier this month. So, Puello may face Sandor Martin later this year, which can be followed up by a title fight early next year. In case Puello wins the fight, the unbeaten boxer can help Teofimo Lopez further solidify his spot as the best in the division. 

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis: The battle of the lightweights

The Baltimore native is also a strong contender who Teofimo Lopez may want to square off against. However, much like his other potential fights, this one also has several hurdles. First of all, Gervonta Davis is still at lightweight, while Lopez is planning on moving to welterweight. So, someone has to make the move up or down.

If history is any proof, Davis, the face of boxing, isn’t going to be the one to make the change. So, if Lopez really wants to fight Davis, he will have to go down for this fight to happen. Still, there is a lot of money in this clash, so it’s not totally out of the picture. Regardless, this fight won’t happen this year because Davis just came off a win against Frank Martin and rumors suggest he is in talks for a fight against Vasyl Lomachenko in September this year.

The destination for Teofimo Lopez to establish himself in the super lightweight division as the best is long, but if he takes the right path, he can even become an undisputed champion by facing the aforementioned boxers. However, only time will tell what steps Lopez takes after his win over Steve Claggett. Who would you like to see Teofimo fight next?