Teofimo Lopez moving up to welterweight, keeping father as trainer

LAS VEGAS – Teofimo Lopez Jnr has decided to pursue a third division title as a welterweight, and he will retain his father, Teofimo Lopez Snr, as his head trainer, BoxingScene has learned.

Lopez, 28, is coming off a January 31 unanimous-decision defeat to unbeaten four-division champion Shakur Stevenson at Madison Square Garden.

While there were some calls for Brooklyn’s Lopez, 22-2 (13KOs), to sever ties with his father as trainer, the perspective of past accomplishments, the talent of Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), and other considerations led to the decision to remain aligned, BoxingScene was told Friday.

Lopez is positioning to overhaul his support team, and will elaborate on his moves over the coming weeks or months.

In town for Saturday’s WBC welterweight title fight between champion Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena, former lightweight and super lightweight champion Lopez has determined the comfort of moving up in weight is in his best interest.

The division’s other champions are Rolly Romero (WBA), Lewis Crocker (IBF) and Devin Haney (WBO), whom Lopez was in negotiations to fight before he turned to Stevenson.

While the sharp, fast and evasive Stevenson posted a wide WBO 140lbs title victory by three 119-109 scorecards, the more tempered response by Lopez is that he, as a generational talent, was defeated by another Hall-of-Fame bound boxer whose style simply didn’t offer an ideal matchup.

At one point during fight week, Stevenson thanked Lopez for agreeing to fight him, detailing how so many elite fighters avoid him. 

Lopez has previously defeated three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and former undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor with his father in his corner.

Lopez became a world champion at age 22 with Teofimo Snr as head coach, knocking out Richard Commey in the second round, also at Madison Square Garden.

Earlier this week, Lopez attended the Zuffa Boxing card at the Apex in Las Vegas, and remained coy about his interest in joining the organization backed by Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalsikh and ran by UFC CEO/President Dana White.

Zuffa Boxing on Friday signed elite welterweight contender Conor Benn to a one-fight, eight-figure deal (terms first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix).