Teofimo Lopez changes his mind every second. The American boxer of Honduran descent has, in just a few days, managed to insult Turki Alalshikh, apologize to Turki Alalshikh, agree to a fight against Devin Haney, and pull out of the fight against Devin Haney. A schizophrenic behavior that has confused fans and insiders alike and raises major questions about the near future of the current WBO super lightweight world champion.
The first twist came a week ago, when Lopez, in a post on X, called the Saudi official Alalshikh a “DICKtator,” blending the English words “dick” and “dictator.” The boxer quickly deleted the post, but soon after published another one—also deleted—featuring a fake poster of a hypothetical fight between him and Alalshikh, depicted in a jungle under the heading “King of the jungle.”
News quickly spread that Lopez and Devin Haney were close to a deal, which was put at risk by Lopez’s posts that reportedly angered Alalshikh. “The Takeover” then released a bizarre video where he wears The Ring cap on his head and carries The Ring belt on his shoulder, while Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” plays in the background. In the video, Lopez moves to the rhythm, sipping a drink and singing the following words to the camera:
“We don’t apologize! We just show love. I love you, Turki! I want to love you so good, Turki. All Diddy! I’ll hold your hand like Crawford did!”
This very strange video, seemingly a mix between an apology and a mockery, appeared to be enough to calm down the head of Riyadh Season, so much so that several sources in the following days reported an imminent deal between Lopez and Haney for a fight scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on August 16.
But the final twist was just around the corner: while Haney signed the contract, Lopez pulled out at the last minute. The shocking reversal seems to stem from Lopez’s demand to have the fight at the 140-pound limit, which Haney’s team found completely unacceptable, as Haney has definitively left the super lightweight division.
We’ll see if there are any further developments and how Teofimo’s career will continue. One thing is certain: his recent behavior hasn’t been that of a professional and reliable fighter.