Teofimo Lopez Sr. changed into in a hotel lobby in Modern York City in December 2018. The field did no longer are conscious of it yet, but when he bumped into Vasiliy Lomachenko — the 2-time Olympic gold medalist, three-division world titlist and boxing’s pound-for-pound king — and prolonged his hand, Lopez’s thought for his son changed into already in motion.
Lomachenko stared at Lopez, and, as the daddy outlined to Mark Kriegel final twelve months, that gape sent a message.
I’m better than you. Your son is no longer at my stage.
But Lopez Jr.’s success changed into telling a special memoir. After starting his authentic profession in 2016 by racking up some spectacular wins, he promised to “desire over” boxing and laid out his direction for making that happen — by defeating Lomachenko.
The Lopez household has been calling out Lomachenko for the past two years, predicting victory. On Saturday night time, predictions and callouts will yield to undoubtedly one of the significant have to-gape fights of 2020 as Lopez faces Lomachenko in Las Vegas. Here’s a gape at how Lopez earned his shot against Lomachenko, and the knockouts and banter that paved the methodology.
Oct. 10, 2016: High Irascible indicators Teofimo Lopez Jr. to a multiyear promotional contract.
“I judge this kid is a steady skill,” High Irascible founder and CEO Bob Arum tells ESPN at the time. “The [matchmakers] are if truth be told excessive on him. He’s a steady solid kid and has a extremely big future as a authentic. He’s a first price fighter.”
Lopez, 19 at the time, is already evaluating himself to just a few the greats.
“I’m an entertainer — obtained to entertain,” Lopez says. “My model — I’m technical, very technical. I’m very tidy after I’m in the ring, savor Albert Einstein. I’m savor a Sugar Ray [Leonard], Floyd Mayweather. I’m a boxer, but when the knockout comes, it comes.”
Feb. 1, 2018: Lopez introduces the slogan “The Takeover” on Instagram earlier than his fight on Feb. 3, 2018, against Juan Pablo Sanchez in Corpus Christi, Texas. Lopez went on to eradicate an six-spherical unanimous dedication in his eighth pro fight.
Also can 12, 2018: Lopez continues The Takeover with a principal-spherical KO of Vitor Freitas. Lopez celebrates the victory with the “Make a choice the L” dance from Fortnite. The fight is on the Lomachenko-Jorge Linares undercard at the Hulu Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard in Modern York, and the talk about a likely fight between Lopez and Lomachenko begins.
“I savor this. I live for this,” Lopez says. “I urged you guys that right here is ‘The Takeover.’ I’ve been practising exhausting, and I’m repeatedly interesting to put on a show for the total followers. I even salvage the flexibility to hurt of us. I’m no longer right here to play.”
July 14, 2018: Lopez ratings another spectacular TKO victory, this time against William Silva in Spherical 6.
“Man, what can I hiss? I urged you I changed into going to desire over,” Lopez says in the course of the postfight interview.
Lopez fractures his hand in the course of the fight and undergoes surgical treatment afterward.
Early December 2018: About a nights earlier than Lopez is scheduled to fight Mason Menard at Madison Sq. Backyard, Lopez Sr. tells Mark Kriegel about running into Lomachenko in the hallway of the hotel the put both opponents are staying.
“How you doing, Lomachenko?” Lopez Sr. says, offering his hand.
But then Lomachenko affords him that gape.
Lopez Sr. begins screaming, cursing, making a scene.
“Yo, you ain’t gonna prevail in nothing. We coming for you. F— you! Reach Saturday we’re gonna desire the show!”
It upsets Teofimo when his father tells him. He can gape Lomachenko, boxing royalty, disrespecting his father without needing to hiss a note. It pisses him off, Lopez Jr. explains to Kriegel. However, his dad pisses him off, too.
“Why would you prevail in that?” Teofimo says he opinion. “Now I obtained to beautiful up your mess.”
Dec. 8, 2018: With his son combating on the Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard at the Hulu Theater, the elder Lopez tells Kriegel he’s feeling the heat from High Irascible for insulting Lomachenko. Senior pulls his son apart earlier than the walkout. “We gotta prevail in one thing gargantuan,” he says. “You gotta gape spectacular.”
Teofimo kisses his father on the cheek. “I obtained you, Dad. I’m repeatedly gonna salvage your abet.”
Lopez ratings an test-opening first-spherical KO of Mason Menard in exactly 44 seconds. After the victory, he promises to eradicate a world title in 2019.
“2019, it is ‘The Takeover,'” Lopez Jr. says. “‘The Takeover’ has begun. In 2019 you’re going to gape me with a strap that claims world’s champion. We’re in the stage of my profession the put we can alternate boxing and declare it abet. You all have not seen the rest savor me in a truly very lengthy time.”
Says Lopez Sr.: “It changed into savor God spoke to me again.”
Father and son judge about the main tournament from a lounge in the Backyard. Lomachenko — serene getting better from shoulder surgical treatment — goes the distance to beat Pedraza.
Teofimo turns to his father. “Dad,” he acknowledged, “You obtained in his head.”
Later in the month, ESPN names Teofimo its 2018 prospect of the twelve months.
Feb. 2, 2019: Lopez continues his takeover with a formidable seventh-spherical knockout of Diego Magdaleno at The Ford Center at The Megastar in Frisco, Texas.
“Teofimo Lopez, whether or no longer you abominate him or you savor him, you’ll doubtless be serene going to evaluate about him,” Lopez Jr. says. “What I’m doing true now is spirited. [In] 2019, we’re interesting true now [to fight for a world title]. Now we prefer to work in the fitness middle. There might be repeatedly room for perfection.”
Feb 19, 2019: Lopez tells Max Kellerman that he wants to face the enviornment titleholders.
“If [the fight with Lomachenko] occurs, it occurs,” the boxer says. “What we’re looking out out for is a world title. Who has a world title true now, Lomachenko has a world title, Richard Commey, he has a world title, Mikey Garcia has a world title, but he’s at 147 true now. … We’re right here to fight the enviornment champions, we’re right here to eradicate the enviornment title, it be no longer relevant who it is.”
Lopez furthermore tells Kellerman that Lomachenko is predictable.
“I believe savor [Lomachenko] does the identical thing time and again again by methodology of footwork, moving to the identical aspect. There might be three or four methods to beat Lomachenko. … But I will be capable to not hiss.”
April 12, 2019: Lomachenko beats Anthony Crolla, and at the postfight data convention Lomachenko is asked who shall be the most stressful to fight and in what dispute, amongst Garcia, Lopez and Luke Campbell.
Lomachenko says: “I judge the [hardest] will likely be Campbell, 2d put is Mikey and … 2d Mikey,” ignoring Lopez entirely.
After the fight, Lopez’s father urged FightHype.com: “[Lomachenko’s performance was] awful, awful, to me. When we throw jabs, we throw jabs to extinguish you. Anyone that throws jabs savor [Lomachenko throws], I manufacture no longer if truth be told savor it. Every person is looking out out for a gargantuan efficiency, and what you obtained to bring true into a gargantuan efficiency, you better bring a thrill, you realize, and everybody changed into appropriate aloof in the course of the general efficiency. He knocked the dude out, but you obtained to hasten in there, no longer appreciate Lomachenko. You obtained to hasten in there and strive and desire the fight off him. … My son goes in there, you realize, to whup your ass, he does it from the inspiration. We’re no longer gonna let Lomachenko appropriate prevail in the rest savor that.”
Asked about how they might per chance catch a fight with Lomachenko, Lopez Sr. says they might per chance catch a eradicate by KO in a title fight and then hasten for Lomachenko to full The Takeover.
“We’re combating in a co-principal tournament on pay-per-test, which I manufacture no longer be awake Lomachenko being in any pay-per-test card,” Lopez Sr. says. “My son handiest has 12 fights, and in his 13th fight we’re in the co-principal tournament of a large card, which is the [Terence] Crawford-[Amir] Khan fight in Modern York City, which is the most life like likely scenario, I mean, knock the man out, in Modern York, savor he’s repeatedly done. He’s been in Modern York 5 times already, 5 knockouts. It’s gonna be the sixth knockout in Modern York, and we’re appropriate gonna bear it devastating and spirited, savor what everybody wants, you realize.
“Lomachenko acknowledged he does no longer are trying to fight my son unless he has a belt, so we’re going to bring the belt, and then you definately realize what you are gonna gape? You are gonna gape him descend to 130 because he’s shy of my son, and I know that already. … My son is going to desire this guy [Lomachenko] out in no longer up to three rounds.”
April 19, 2019: Lopez reveals self belief earlier than his fight against Edis Tatli, telling ESPN’s Mark Kriegel he’s the most life like likely fighter in the enviornment.
“You guys have not seen nothing yet.”
“You guys salvage no longer seen the rest yet.” @TeofimoLopez #CrawfordKhan pic.twitter.com/i5no9397M8
— High Irascible Boxing (@trboxing) April 19, 2019
When asked who’s the most life like likely fighter in the enviornment between himself, Crawford and Lomachenko, Lopez affords an emphatic, “Me, because I’m. I’m appropriate that gargantuan — of us coming to witness me.”
When Kriegel asks Lopez what’s going to happen in the fight with Tatli, Lopez predicts what if truth be told takes put.
“What you guys are gonna gape is no longer appropriate dart, strength, but ring IQ,” he says. “That is the general thing: I’m a technician after I’m in there. It’s all about leisure, man, judge about the celebration, the Fortnite dances, every little thing coming collectively, and ending with a backflip and calling it a night time.”
April 20, 2019: Lopez demolishes Tatli in a fifth-spherical KO on the Crawford-Khan undercard, and two days after the fight he posts on Instagram: “We came, We noticed, We conquered! #TheTakeover”
“I desire a world title shot subsequent. That’s what I desire. We promised to desire over the show, and once extra, I took it over,” Lopez says after the fight. “I’m interesting for [world titlist] Richard Commey or the [potentially vacant] WBC title. As lengthy because it be for a title, I’m interesting to hasten. No one can desire my strength.”
June 29, 2019: Shimmering he wants to eradicate a world title to solidify the premise of combating Lomachenko, Lopez posts a photo of himself with then-likely opponent Commey with the caption reading, in piece: “See you quickly.”
July 16, 2019: Lopez and his father are guests on the 3 Knockdown Rule podcast, hosted by Mario Lopez and Steve Kim. Teofimo Lopez Sr. calls Lomachenko “awful” once extra.
“Every person glorifies this guy, and that is the reason one thing that [Teofimo] does no longer realize. The man [Lomachenko] is awful,” Lopez Sr. says. “We’re going to desire this guy out in no longer up to three rounds, I will hiss it true now.”
Lopez Jr. is no longer too complimentary of Lomachenko either.
“He had a gargantuan amateur background, he has a gargantuan amateur pedigree and all that stuff,” he says. “He paved the methodology. Manufacture no longer catch me unfavorable. You can not desire that away. But it for certain’s the undeniable fact that, did anybody if truth be told know him as principal as they prevail in now? No. It’s far because we mentioned him and every little thing savor that, and we’re scorching now.”
Added Lopez Sr.: “He hasn’t done nothing.”
Lopez Jr. is days away from facing Masayoshi Nakatani, but he and his father support going at Lomachenko, trying to catch the fight done.
“Of us are trying to witness this fight, and so that they name it a megafight,” Lopez Jr. says in the course of the podcast, as if he’s talking straight to Lomachenko.
“My dude, you were a two-time Olympic gold medalist, just a few weight division champion and all that, yet you proceed to can not catch a pay-per-test fight?”
July 17, 2019: Two days earlier than the Nakatani fight, Lopez Jr. shares with ESPN his three-fight thought, which involves a victory over Nakatani, a fight against Commey for the IBF gentle-weight title and then Lomachenko in a unification fight.
It finally ends up being a extremely lawful thought.
“What I gape in my son is the most life like likely fighter that ever lived,” Lopez Sr. tells ESPN. “That is the methodology I gape my son. I will by no means lie about my son. If my son sucks, he sucks and he would no longer be in this sport.”
Lopez Jr. understands what his father is making an strive and prevail in and does no longer gape it as stress.
“There might be times … I’m savor, dang, he build me in this put,” Lopez Jr. says. “All true, I gotta abet him up. … I’m no longer gonna bear no person bear fun of my father.”
July 19, 2019: Lopez wins a unanimous dedication over Nakatani, but he does no longer gape excellent in victory against the good and lanky fighter. Is he interesting for the finish opponents at 135 pounds? Is he interesting for a title shot?
“I appropriate need miniature tuneups. It’s piece of the direction of. I’m thankful true now,” Lopez says after the fight. “It changed into my first principal tournament. It changed into 12 rounds. Am I proud of it? No, but I’m proud that I confirmed everybody I might hasten 12 rounds.”
Lopez had earned a title shot against Commey, the IBF titleholder. The Takeover changed into a step nearer.
Dec. 14, 2019: An out of this world 2d-spherical TKO victory over Commey to eradicate his first world title erases every doubt about Lopez’s skill.
One true hand puts Commey down. Lomachenko is subsequent.
“I’m stressed true now. Here’s a dream come excellent,” Lopez says after the fight. “[Commey] is a execrable man. His shot might’ve done the honest like me if he hit me with that shot.
“You all know who I are trying to fight subsequent — 2020 is going to be a giant twelve months. ‘The Takeover’ has arrived, and you have not seen the rest yet.”
Lomachenko, who is ringside, tells ESPN reporter Bernardo Osuna after Lopez’s victory: “Now he’s a world champion. Welcome to my membership. I gape you in April.”
Also can 19, 2020: After prolonged discussions, it is glaring that Lomachenko and Lopez salvage their eyes squarely on every other. There might be no person else in the checklist, and both opponents screech they’re interesting to fight even without followers.
“In talking with Lomachenko and Lopez, neither of them desire an duration in-between fight,” Arum acknowledged. “So we would thought to prevail in that in September, with or without an target market.”
Lopez Sr. reiterates the prefer to hasten for Lomachenko sooner in prefer to later.
“A hundred percent,” he says. “We manufacture no longer need no tuneups. We’re centered with Lomachenko. That is all we desire is Lomachenko.”
July 22, 2020: Lopez Jr. data movies which shall be posted on Instagram and Twitter in which he calls out Lomachenko and tells him to “bring my belts.”
— High Irascible Boxing (@trboxing) July 22, 2020
Aug. 12, 2020: The Lomachenko-Lopez gentle-weight unification fight is formally announced for Oct. 17 on ESPN.
Aug. 13, 2020: Lopez Sr. predicts a third KO victory for his son, asserting that the fight is going to bear Teofimo “a superhero.”
“It’s far no longer going to even final three rounds,” Lopez Sr. tells ESPN after the fight is announced. “When that monster hits him with the main punch, you’ll doubtless be going to witness a hurt dog without no legs. He’s done. The principle punch is going to alternate the general fight. He’s going to wish he changed into by no means in that ring.
“Two years previously, you be awake after I started this, you realize why? Because that is what God build in my head. That’s what God build in my head and I know we had to beat him. And let me checklist you one thing … there by no means had been no person in the enviornment predict a world championship [for Teofimo] in [just] 15 fights, and then fight Lomachenko in our 16th fight.
“This kid is from another planet, this kid is no longer traditional,” he acknowledged of his son.
While Lopez Jr.’s purse for the fight is less because followers don’t seem to be ready to support, Lopez Sr. persuaded his son to desire the fight, asserting that no longer making it might per chance salvage had a lengthy lasting adversarial impression on his profession.
“I urged him, ‘I will present you with my percentage, bro’, I manufacture no longer care about cash,” Lopez Sr. recollects. “Here’s what we did this s— for — for the glory. You might question for the rest you wish after this.”
And a victory will hasten a lengthy methodology for Lopez’s legacy as effectively.
“Here’s the fight that is going to bear my son a superhero,” Lopez Sr. says. “He’s going to be savor Superman.”
Sept. 8, 2020: Lopez Jr. says on ESPN’s First Make a choice that he plans to catch Lomachenko.
“The entire lot that this man does that they are saying, [making opponents quit], he’s reducing. … He’s already on his methodology out, and it be exhibiting,” Lopez says. “Your physique can handiest desire so principal, so principal ruin, and I guarantee you, we’re going to put some ruin on this man.”
Sept. 29, 2020: Lopez Sr. tells ESPN that by their talk they’ve been ready to rattle Lomachenko and that his son will knock him out on Oct. 17.
“Lomachenko does no longer know what’s coming. He’s terribly anxious. I know that we’re going to eradicate that fight earlier than my son enters the ring, because that is my job — I even prefer to catch internal Lomachenko’s head,” Lopez Sr. says. “He has by no means spoken effectively of any boxer and now he says that my son has a excessive IQ in boxing, and earlier than he did no longer hiss that. I know I’m in his head.
“And my son is no longer the identical boxer who beat Commey — he’s a boxer who believes extra in himself. Destroying Commey, a particular individual that no person has ever knocked out earlier than, a solid boxer, excellent jaw, and the methodology we destroyed him gave my son extra self belief, even supposing my son repeatedly has the self belief. Lomachenko would by no means salvage done that to Commey, ever. That fight would were won by Lomachenko, for positive, but he would salvage won on factors — he would by no means salvage knocked him out the methodology my son did.
“My son obtained rid of Commey snappily, and that is the reason what we’re gonna prevail in with Lomachenko, as effectively.
“I already predicted the fight’s no longer going six rounds, and that is the reason appropriate the methodology it be going to hasten,” the elder Lopez says. “Now we were true all these times, and we’re going to be true on this fight, too. There is just not any methodology a 126-pounder is going to beat my son. It’s appropriate most no longer likely.
“[My son] is going to gape methodology better than the total other fights he has fought. This guy Lomachenko, he’s going to bear us gape excellent, and I will be capable to not wait. I urged everybody the simpler the fighter is, the easier the fight it be going to be for us.”
Oct. 12, 2020: Lopez Jr. says that no matter what his father says, he is conscious of it is attributable to the self belief he has in him to declare in the ring.
“I savor my father,” Lopez Jr. tells ESPN, “nonetheless it is no longer about proving his prophecy. He talks whatever he wants to communicate. He made this greater than it wanted to be — I judge everybody wants to congratulate him on that piece. But if truth be told what it is, it be appropriate that he is conscious of what I’m all about. He talks what he talks, he’s awfully assured about it because he sees in me what no person else sees in me, yet.”
