Teofimo Lopez Vs Devin Haney Could, Should Or Would Happen in 2019! Is This A Fight Fans Will Demand?

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By Joshua “City” Brewer

In the sport of boxing, new rivalries are brewed and old rivalries are renewed on a daily basis. The sport in itself has a long history and one constant that has remained the pillar of its success is the best fighting the best. Furthermore, boxing’s youngest fighters have been at the forefront of some of the best matchups the sport has had the pleasure of offering. There are many scientific studies that play into what is considered an athlete’s prime, generally his/her mid-twenties is a peak time frame for reference. All of that aside and to the intent of the article, boxing has another opportunity for a matchup with the potential for something special. Cue rising lightweights Teofimo Lopez, 11-0, 9 KO’s, and Devin Haney, 20-0, 13 KO’s.

These are two of boxing’s talented young stars who are both on an upward trajectory–within the same weight class. Haney is 20. Lopez is 21. Some may oppose due to age alone but let it be known, these two fighters are not “Green.” Lopez was 2016 Olympian who competed for Honduras, his mother’s home country, during the games though he qualified for the United States as well. Haney was an elite level amateur as well going 130-8. Haney racked un a number of national titles at the junior level before opting to head to turn pro at the age of 16, first fighting in Mexico. Time was of the essence and Haney took matters into his own hands`.

Now, it was clear that these two fighters were on an upward trajectory based on their days as amateurs, but now the cards have seemingly played out right. Both turned professional around the same though Haney was just under a year ahead. Both fighters have been moving at a very quick pace to start their careers. At their current pace, Haney and Lopez are averaging five and four (3.6) fights per year, respectively. Haney fought only twice in 2018 after racking up a total of 16 fights between 2016 and 2017. Around two to three fights may be more of the norm as each fighter’s competition increases over the next several years.

At 5’9 and with a 71” reach advantage, Haney is the slightly taller and longer fighter by comparison to the 5’8 Lopez who sports a 69” reach. This could be a factor in some regards but doesn’t necessarily allude to an advantage for either fighter. From a style perspective, the two fighters are very different though there are some qualities relevant to each. When you think of their pedigree and background, there isn’t much separation. They certainly have an elite level skill set. Both can use the jab to effectively control distance. They each have excellent footwork confirmed by the fact that neither fighter has taken much if any damage in their short careers.

There is a common opponent shared between the two fighters. Enter Mason Menard. Haney was the first of the duo to face Menard on May 11, 2018, as the headliner for a Sho-Box: The New Generation card that took place in Philadelphia, PA. Haney used his elusive defense and skill to essentially nullify any gameplan that Menard and his corner may have conceived. Haney eventually put enough of a battering on Menard that his corner decided to call the fight prior to the start of the ninth round.

Not one to be outdone, Lopez faced off against Menard on December 8, 2018, at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York. Menard was coming off of a win but what ensued was the knockout of the year. Lopez only needed about 44 seconds to catch Menard with a right hook that essentially turned his lights out before he even hit the canvas. The referee counted but there was really no need. This essentially capped an impactful year for Lopez and his name was immediately thrown in the mix with the top at lightweight.

Both fighters are astute on the defensive and offensive front. The slight edge may go to Lopez given his sheer explosiveness by comparison. This, though, doesn’t insinuate that the same type of explosiveness isn’t present within Haney. After all, one assumes that the best brings out the best in any competitive scenarios. Haney has shown to operate more tactically though he’s very gifted compared to most even when he was a teenager facing grown men. He doesn’t have that one punch type of punching power Haney works systematically to outbox his opponents and essentially wins the battle of attrition.

Lopez has shown the ability to operate in a similar fashion through his win over Menard showed that he has the type of ‘one-punch’ power separate an individual from his senses at any point. Menard is one thing, but with a fighter who is more sound on defense, the likes of Haney, this opportunity probably won’t come about until the later rounds. The Haney fight would be a considerable factor in deciding how the power of Lopez travels as the competition increases. By this same token, we’d get an understanding of how Lopez handles an elite level offensive attack at the pro level.

From my perspective, neither fighter has had their chins tested at the elite level. This opportunity would come about to some degree were the two to face each other. The two have traded jabs in interviews over the last several months. Much of the tension has centered around the two fighters engagement in a previous sparring session where the Lopez camp alluded to Lopez getting the better of Haney. In one of Haney’s most recent interviews at the Mayweather Boxing Club, the topic came up regarding the sparring session. To paraphrase, Haney referred to the session as one of the easiest sparring sessions he’d been involved in.

Now, having been around numerous sparring sessions, the ultimate purpose is to use these as opportunities for improvement. Sparring sessions don’t necessarily tell the full story in all cases. There have been fighters who have looked like ‘world beaters’ in sparring sessions who have not done as well under the bright lights. Often times fighters aren’t going 100% as it relates to efforts by comparison to real fights. That said, things can get intense at times and sparring sessions are the closest one gets to the real deal. In this case, though, it’s likely neither fighter showed their full arsenal.

Ultimately, we may never know the truth as t relates to how the session really went down as Lopez has pointed out the fact that no cameras were allowed. He’s also alluded to Haney having spent the majority of the time avoiding him as opposed to trying to engage. One way we can see where each fighter stands since that infamous days is by having them clear the air in 2019. After all, fighters fight.

From what I’ve been able to gather through interviews and such available online, both Lopez and Haney have the mindset that they’ve surpassed the other as a pro. Surely each can make a case for why they feel as though that is the situation. They’re certainly not obligated to face each other but from a fan perspective, it seems as though this would be a matchup that would garner much interest. Both may have reasons for which they may view the fight as not being beneficial to them

Notionally speaking, Haney, for better or worse, is in a relationship with Black Chyna of Hip-Hop and Kardashian fame, and Lopez is as popular as he’s ever been since his Fortnite celebration went viral after he knocked out Vitor Jones in May of 2018. I’m not one to count another person’s money but it seems like financial incentives are there from a marketing perspective given the backstories and current status. Of course, I don’t determine such fights. It’s the public demand that typically sways interest.

Well, fans, let your voices be heard! Worst case scenario it’ll be a five-year wait in a similar fashion to the Floyd Mayweather, JR. Vs Manny Pacquiao fight. Or, it marinates long enough for one fighter to lose and derail it all, which was the case with the Juan Manuel Lopez Vs Yuriorkis Gamboa matchup. Then there was the Timothy Bradley Vs Devon Alexander bout went down at the right time with no hiccups though the fight didn’t live up to the hype. Of course, there have been many examples of the cards aligning over the last several years. Thurman Vs Porter, Rios Vs Alvarado, Garcia Vs Easter, JR., and Sor Rungvisai Vs Estrada to name a few (though I’m sure someone out there doesn’t agree).

Whatever lies in the future, boxing is on a high. It’s now all about the matchups. Now, by the powers vested in me, I announce this as one of the top fights to be made in 2019. Haney has a fight lined up against Xolisani Ndongeni, 25-0, 13 KO’s, in January 2019. Given his quick dispatch of Menard, is expected to be back in action in February 2018 against Diego Magdaleno according to reports. You do the math. With that, may 2019 be fruitful for all involved!

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