Teofimo Lopez Jr. has made it clear from the get-go that Vasiliy Lomachenko’s vast array of accomplishments do not mean anything to him.
The two-time Olympics gold medalist who accomplished an astonishing amateur record of 396-1 does not garner any admiration from the IBF champion Lopez Jr. ahead of their lightweight unification clash Oct. 17 on ESPN.
“We don’t respect him,” Lopez Jr. told Fight Hype. “Everybody he’s faced, everybody believes the hype train. Everybody believes that, and it gets them shook. I’m the type of fighter that doesn’t give a sh-t. You can say that this guy is ‘the man of steel,’ and I don’t care.
“I’m the type of fighter where I don’t respect no man when I’m in the ring. I’m a dog, and I’m going to fight for my life. There are many things that we can cap off.”
The verbal battle between Lopez Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs) and Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) has also spilled over to their fathers, each of whom trains their sons. Teofimo Sr. has especially been vocal with his proclamations, going as far as even saying that his son will have a better career than Floyd Mayweather Jr. once he retires.
The WBO, WBA and WBC lightweight franchise champion Lomachenko countered by saying that he wants to lay a lashing so bad that Teofimo Sr. is forced to throw in the towel.
“His whole intention, my father, really gets under his skin,” said Lopez Jr. “I’m very happy that he is kind of frustrated. I don’t think any fighter has ever given Loma this much disrespect. I don’t give a sh-t about him. Who cares? I can say I’m going to knock you out, and you can say you’re going to make me quit.”
The 23-year-old Lopez Jr. has been fighting under the mantra of "The TakeOver" in recent years, and he believes his mission is just getting started.
In December, he delivered one of the most devastating knockouts of 2019 when he put away Richard Commey in just two rounds to capture his first world title.
“Everyone has seen [Lomachenko] at his peak,” he said. “I’m not even at my peak yet, and that’s the thing I’m very happy about. And I’m doing all these things, and the way I’m doing them, what’s going to happen when I am in my prime?
“People have only noticed Teofimo through a few fights of mine. The ones that have followed me have seen me for three years.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist and member of the Boxing Writers Assn. of America since 2011. He has written for the likes of the LA Times, Guardian, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Men’s Health and NFL.com. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan or via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com.