Devin Haney will be the first to admit that he isn't the biggest fan of Teofimo Lopez. But, regardless of their differences, Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) has always revered his overall skills inside the ring.
However, following his upset loss at the hands of George Kambosos Jr. in November of 2021, Haney believes that Lopez has been somewhat lackluster. To further Haney’s point, Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) came out listless in his most recent showing against Sandor Martin just a few short weeks ago.
Ultimately, despite eking out the victory, Haney, the undisputed champion at 135 pounds, believes that something is terribly wrong. Haney’s sentiments were seemingly buffered as ESPN's camera crew picked up footage of Lopez asking his handlers if he still had it after his showdown against Martin.
As Lopez’s words began circulating, the loquacious former unified champion quickly dismissed that he’s unnerved. Instead, Lopez revealed that his words were far from candid and that he questioned himself to get the boxing world talking about him.
Haney though, could barely stop himself from laughing when asked if he believed Lopez. After taking care of business against Kambosos in back-to-back meetings, Haney is under the impression that Lopez is going through a difficult time in his life at the moment. Rather than kick his longtime rival while he’s down, Haney is offering Lopez a bit of guidance.
With his controversial victory over Martin, Lopez is now perched as the number one contender in the WBC sanctioning body at 140 pounds. But while Lopez could saunter into a showdown against Regis Prograis, Haney advises him to kick his feet up and relax instead.
“Everybody knows that that’s cap (a lie),” said Haney when asked if he believes Lopez questioned himself on purpose during an interview with Thaboxingvoice. “He’s questioning himself so I think he needs to take some time away from the sport, get his mind right, and come back.”
