“It was a fight I signed for. I didn’t just agree to it. I signed, and I thought it was almost done. We were just waiting for his signature,” Haney said.
Haney explained that both fighters had already agreed to their financial terms before Lopez pulled out of the deal late in the process.
“He agreed to his terms, and I agreed to my terms. And then at the last second, he pulled out of it and went a different way. So right now, it’s not a fight I’m willing to entertain just because of those things.”
The proposed fight was targeted for August 2025 when both fighters campaigned at light welterweight (140). At the time, Haney insisted on the match and believed the deal was essentially done once he signed his part of the contract.
Teofimo eventually pulled out of the deal for personal reasons before the fight could be completed, ending negotiations that had already reached the contract stage. Interest in the bout recently resurfaced after Lopez announced plans to move to the welterweight division following his loss to Shakur Stevenson in January.
Lopez said he remains interested in facing Haney once he is established in the new weight class, but Haney indicated that the breakdown of the earlier agreement still affects how he views the possibility of revisiting the fight.
The stance comes as Haney has also been linked to a potential fight with Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero for the WBA welterweight title. Romero holds the belt but has produced uneven results in recent years, including knockout losses to Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz and the controversial win over Ismael Barroso.
A fight between Haney and Lopez is likely to draw more attention from fans than a fight with Romero. Teofimo remains one of the sport’s more theatrical personalities and often drives much of the conversation surrounding his fights.
Haney’s comments suggest that the collapse of last year’s deal remains a sticking point when it comes to the possibility of the fight. The possibility of the fight remains open in theory, but for now Haney seems reluctant to revisit it.
