Terence Crawford has given needy Teofimo Lopez the key to getting a chance to fight him by beating former 154-lb world champion Israil Madrimov next.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Madrimov is a big puncher with Golovkin-like power in both hands, and it will be a tough fight for Lopez to earn a chance to fight Crawford for the gold.
If Top Rank sets up Teofimo with a match against Madrimov, the fight will draw a lot of interest due to its quirkiness. Lopez Jr. would move up two divisions from 140 to 154 to take on Madrimov.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) in an insurmountable barrier in front of him that the struggling ‘Takeover’ Teofimo Jr. (21-1, 13 KOs) must pass to get the opportunity to face him.
While Lopez Jr was one of the young fighters on the rise four years ago after his upset win over Vasily Lomachenko in 2020, his star has burned out after five terrible performances.
If the still-young 27-year-old Teofimo wants to earn the chance for a mega-payday fight against Crawford, he will agree to fight the recently beaten Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) and take his chances. Madrimov, nicknamed ‘Little GGG’, is a big puncher who torched Crawford with powerful right hands on August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Madrimov came close to Crawford and lost a 12-round unanimous decision by scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113. It was by far the toughest fight of Crawford’s career, and he was fortunate that Madrimov made the mistake of not stepping on the accelerator in the championship rounds.
Lopez’s once-promising career has imploded since his victory over a smaller, older Vasily Lomachenko in October 2020. Some feel that Lomachenko took something out of Lopez with the shots he hit him with in that fight. Teofimo has been inconsistent in the ring since that fight and has only looked impressive in one of his last six fights against Josh Taylor.
Teofimo’s disappointing performances
– Steve Claggett
– Jamaine Ortiz
– Sandor Martin
– Pedro Campa
– George Kambosos Jr.
– Masayoshi Nakatani
– Vasily Lomachenko
@TeofimoLopez if you can beat @IsrailMadrimov in your next fight i will fight your deal?😁 let’s see how serious you want to fight me.
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) October 6, 2024
