LAS VEGAS – Eddie Hearn realizes Teofimo Lopez has an appealing option other than Devin Haney if Lopez defeats George Kambosos Jr. on June 19.
Haney’s promoter firmly feels Haney is the opponent Lopez should fight next. He wouldn’t fault the undefeated, unified lightweight champion, though, if he opted to move up from 135 pounds to 140 to challenge undisputed junior welterweight champ Josh Taylor.
The potential difference, according to Hearn, is Lopez can make a lot more money to battle Haney than the unbeaten Scottish southpaw. Hearn and DAZN would allow Haney to oppose Lopez in an ESPN Pay-Per-View event if that makes the most business sense, but Hearn is prepared to make Lopez a lucrative offer to fight Haney next on DAZN if he beats Kambosos two weeks from Saturday night in Miami.
“Yeah, maybe,” Hearn told a group of reporters Saturday night in reference to Lopez possibly boxing Taylor rather than Haney. “But that’s the problem with boxing, is [promoter Bob Arum is] doing that for the benefit of Top Rank and the network [ESPN], instead of the fighter. But again, if Teofimo wanted that fight, then there’s nothing we can do about it. But I think we can pay him a lot more to fight Devin Haney than they would pay him to fight Josh Taylor. But that is also an excellent fight. So, if they made that fight, you can’t really complain.”
Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) owns the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 140-pound championships. He topped previously unbeaten Jose Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) by majority decision in their 12-round unification match May 22 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Lopez told BoxingScene.com last week after an open workout that he wants nothing more than to face Haney next. Las Vegas’ Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) survived getting hurt by Jorge Linares late in the 10th round Saturday night to win a 12-round unanimous decision at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena. Judges Dave Moretti (115-113), Patricia Morse Jarman (116-112) and Steve Weisfeld (116-112) all scored the 22-year-old Haney the winner of a fight he almost completely controlled before Linares landed a right-left combination just before the bell rang to end the 10th round.
Venezuela’s Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) lost on points for the first time in 18 years as a professional. Each of his first five defeats came by technical knockout.
The 23-year-old Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs), a Brooklyn native, is consistently listed as a 15-1 favorite over Australia’s Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs), the mandatory challenger for Lopez’s IBF lightweight title. Triller Fight Club will offer Lopez-Kambosos as the main event of a pay-per-view show from loanDepot park, the home stadium of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins ($49.99).
Lopez remains under contract with Arum’s Top Rank Inc., which was out-bid by Triller Fight Club for the right to promote Lopez-Kambosos.
“I don’t know what’s happening with Teofimo, with Top Rank,” Hearn said. “And is there a legal issue around the contract because of what happened [before the purse bid February 25] and whatever? But, you know, the great thing is, like I said, normally it’s a network issue that will give you the excuse. With this, it’s like, ‘This is how it’s gonna be. Teofimo, here is your offer to fight Devin Haney. And if you also want to entertain that on ESPN, no problem at all.’ So, in that respect, how can you not have a conversation about it?”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
