By Ryan Burton
On Saturday night in Frisco, Texas, rising lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez (11-0) will face former two-time title challenger Diego Magdaleno (31-2). The fight will air on the ESPN+ app and will serve as the co-feature bout underneath the Eleider Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev rematch.
Alvarez and Kovalev first battled last August on HBO when Kovalev built a commanding lead through 6 rounds before Alvarez dropped him 3 times and stopped him in the 7th round.
Kovalev is now onto his third trainer in recent years and will enter this fight under the guidance of the veteran Buddy McGirt.
Lopez thinks that the trainer changes could be a mistake.
"Kovalev is shook but he could be hungry too,” Lopez stated before being advised of Kovalev’s change of trainers. “I didn't know that. Sometimes it is bad. I don't know why people switch. It is just a mistake. Something happened on your end. It is not the trainer's fault. Something happened with you. Maybe the fighter was too tough that night. That's why I won't switch trainers from my father if anything happened to me. It is not the trainer's fault it is ours. Just accept it."
As for his own fight, Lopez promises fireworks. He said that the fans will be in for a great show and that they can expect s knockout victory.
"February 2nd you will see Lights Out Lopez, nah I am just playing. It is the 'Take Over' as always. 2019 is a huge year. You guys will see excitement again and I guess you will see another stoppage and a lot of right hands," Lopez told BoxingScene.com.
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