Promoter Bob Arum has revealed that the Saudis want to offer Teofimo Lopez a three-fight deal, which he likes. Arum says it is to Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) that he has to give his “endorsement.”
They apparently want Teofimo to fight good opposition, which will be risky because he has looked vulnerable in many of his fights over the past four years. He recently turned down a fight against Subriel Matias, and Devin Haney said there was an offer that Teo turned down.
Lopez didn’t want George Kambosos Jr. not reconsider after beating him in 2021. This strange, self-destructive behavior prevented Teofimo from becoming more popular. Of course, those fights would have worked against Lopez because he would have lost them all, and he would be even worse off now.
The Saudis want Teofimo now while he’s still semi-popular, but if he loses all three fights to them, he’ll be in the ‘who’s got him club’. He will be on the scrap heap, and whatever promoter wants to go dumpster dive for Teo. He will be like another Rolly Romero type fighter who is good at promoting his fights but unreliable inside the ring.
Three-fight deal
“The Saudis came to us, and they talked about doing a three-fight deal with Teofimo, which we like a lot. Now the ball is in Teofimo’s court to get his approval,” said Bob Arum, the top-ranking promoter. Battle hype about Teofimo Lopez.
“The Saudis have stepped up to the plate, and as far as Top Rank is concerned, we are happy with the offer and the arrangement. Now, it’s up to Teofimo. I’ll be back in Vegas on Saturday, and I’ll contact Teofimo and his people to see where it goes from there.
“We are talking to the Saudis (about Teofimo fighting IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins). We had a good relationship with Teo, but there comes a time when they want to fly a bit on their own. This is not unusual. It happens, but I think Teofimo will like the package that the Saudis have offered, and we will continue with him based on that,” Arum said.
Teofimo’s career could be in jeopardy after his three-fight deal with the Saudis expires in early 2026, as there is not one fight he has a good chance of winning among the three. If these are the three fights Turki Al-Sheikh has for Lopez, he probably won’t get a new contact:
- Richardson Hitchins – summer
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis – October
- Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2 Winner or Loser – February 2026
The Garcia-Haney 2 loser is the most winnable of those three for Teo. In the past four years, we’ve seen what Lopez has looked like in his fights against Steve Claggett, Jamaine Ortiz, Sandor Martin and George Kambosos Jr. He is not talented enough to get through Hitchins or Boots without losing at least one if not two. .
The Aftermath
The Saudis are not going to throw mega-millions at Teofimo after he leaves 0-3 in their current contract. I could see Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom signing Lopez after her contact with Turki and Top Rank expired. They just signed 36-year-old Liam Smith, who hasn’t fought in two years since 2023 and is coming off a knockout loss to Chris Eubank Jr.
If Matchroom were willing to sign Smith, they will be all over Teo and will invest in a rebuild like they did with Anthony Joshua. Didn’t work with him, and it won’t be effective with Lopez coming off a three-fight losing streak. It’s not just those three fights.
Teofimo has been struggling continuously since his loss to Kambosos Jr. in 2021. He was saved by the judges who released him on bail. Jamaine Ortiz and Sandor Martin. Top Rank helped Teo by not throwing him to the wolves by matching him against guys who would finish what Kambosos started.
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