There aren’t many more marketable fights in the super-lightweight division than Teofimo Lopez versus Ryan Garcia.
Lopez currently holds the WBO belt which he claimed after a fine performance against the previously unbeaten Scot Josh Taylor back in June 2023.
That title was his first in a second weight class having also been top dog down at lightweight when he managed to beat the much-heralded Vasiliy Lomachenko to unify the division.
In recent times, Lopez has not had such high-profile fights, instead, he has beaten Jamaine Ortiz and most recently this year Steve Claggett, both on points.
However, he claims he is chasing bigger names and as such wants to fight Ryan Garcia, though only if USADA drug testing is in place. Social media sensation ‘King Ryan’ was due to fight for the WBC super-lightweight title against Devin Haney back in April but missed the weight and wasn’t eligible for the belt despite the fight going ahead.
He won the contest on points after inflicting numerous knockdowns but was later banned for failing a drug test and saw it overturned from a victory to a no contest. He will be free for a ring return in April 2025.
Speaking to FightHype, accomplished trainer Robert Garcia – who corners the likes of Jesse Rodriguez and Vergil Ortiz – spoke about the fight.
“It’s a nice fight. Ryan has very explosive power, man. He’s very fast. it’s dangerous for Teo. But Teo, when he comes at his f***ing best, he’s unstoppable. Look at his performance against Lomachenko, then he fights Josh Taylor the way he did? He’s unbeatable. But then he has those performances where we’re not very happy. So, depending on that, I think Teo has the heart, the skills, the power to beat Ryan. It depends what he brings.”
Right now Lopez doesn’t have a fight scheduled but is adamant that he will manage to land one against Terence Crawford two divisions up.
