Vasyl Lomachenko Vs Teofimo Lopez: Pay The Kid Already
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By Anthony “Zute” George
Boxing has been back in action for a few months. Still, very few boxing superstars have fought, and fans have not been treated to anything that would be mistaken as a Superfight. Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez would indeed fill that void. It was a fight that was heavily rumored to occur even before the Covid 19 pandemic. It still has plenty of potential to bear fruit. There are still some loose ends to tie up before we can really get excited, however. I spoke with Teofimo recently, and he told me he has developed a fondness for solving puzzles. Loma Vs The Takeover is a puzzle fans hope the powers that be at Top Rank will solve.
With that being said, Teofimo Lopez has not been on the same page as everyone else, in the words of Elton John, he may be thinking, “I ain’t no puzzle piece that needs to fit.” He would be right in thinking that way. Lopez is one of the best talents in boxing today. He is his own puzzle, and there is no Superfight without him. He is not the B-side. This fight is A-1 Vs A-2.
From the reports we hear, money is the big obstacle for this fight. Some people on social media are accusing Lopez of pricing himself out. Nonsense. In boxing, the two million dollars he is asking (which is what has been reported) are peanut shells compared to the standard salary of a Superfight of this nature, even with the shutdown. Before you go on to say how Loma is the bigger draw, let us peel that onion before we make any conclusions. Indeed, Loma does have a better resume. There is nobody on Lopez’s resume that is as good as Gary Russell JR. However, Loma has been around longer, so he should have faced better competition. Also, based on how Lopez has been handled by Top Rank, it is difficult to say what he brings to the table in terms of being a ticket seller.
As great a fighter as Lopez is, he has been featured as an undercard fighter to such heavy hitters as Regis Prograis, Sergey Kovalev Terence Crawford and, Vasyl. Of course. Only when Lopez faced Masayoshi Nakatani did Teofimo have a main event fight. Against a fighter, few people knew, and even fewer American fans saw. He has not been given a chance to prove his worth as the name above the title fighter. Why? It appears he has been used as an insurance piece for shaky main events. He has deserved better than being treated as an adrenaline shot. Still, he carried out this role without any complaints; now, we will give him grief when he wants to get paid? Selective capitalism, as typical in America.
It is also worth mentioning that Lopez received no help on the undercard of his first main event.
It has been reported that Bob Arum cannot afford to pay Lopez the two million dollars he is asking, as it would bankrupt Top Rank. Really? Top Rank? The best of the best, the company that has been on top since the Nixon Administration cannot dish out an extra $800,000 at the risk of losing their shirt? Why does that not sound like it makes any sense? If it is true, the Top Rank accountants need to be fired. I am quite sure Mr. Arum will still be a very wealthy man himself. If he indeed said that, I wonder if he is lying or telling the truth? Even more puzzling, why do I not see more boxing pundits questioning this?
About that $800,000, it has also been reported that Lomachenko has offered to give that sum to Teofimo to get the deal done. Great gesture. But let us not kid ourselves. Lomachenko is doing this, if it is indeed true because he knows Teofimo’s importance in all of this. He knows that The Takeover is the only possible dancing partner to make a lot of money. All the other great fighters are not under the Top Rank umbrella, so, good luck trying to negotiate with them during these times. It is too bad Top Rank does not hold Lopez in the same regard as Loma does.
And it is more than just money. Vasyl needs to beat a fighter of Lopez’s caliber to build on his legacy. Outside of the company men mentality, there are plenty of boxing people who question exactly how great Loma is. Fantastic talent, indeed. Still, he has not faced a fighter as good as Russell since that fight back in 2014. The Rigondeaux fight was a joke in the sense that it was a bazooka going up against a rifle. Sosa, Walters, Pedraza, Crolla, Campbell, all good fighters, but not legacy builders. Jorge Linares was probably his best opponent, and he was hurt and dropped in that fight. None of those fighters are in the same league as what a Lopez victory would file under. To beat a fighter who is as talented at this stage of his career, would go a long way to cementing an all-time great legacy. Any other pugilist that could provide Loma with that cache either belongs to another company or is much bigger than him. If no one else realizes that, at least Loma does. And Lomachenko presents as a boxer who does indeed care about his legacy.
Indeed, virtually all that I have reported to you is based on other reports and might not all be true. I have heard enough to think it is true. Still, perhaps some of the number figures may be incorrect.
If it is true, it is a shame that Bob Arum and Top Rank do not see Lopez’s worth, and how important he is to this Superfight equation. There is still hope that this fight will get done, but some coffee smelling must happen from a company and promoter that seems to have a habit of smelling themselves too much. If you are not sure what that means, it is a New York thing.
Do not get me wrong, I do have a great deal of respect for Top Rank Boxing. Still, they are not without flaws. I know, hard to believe based on the narratives of many boxing pundits. And I will always have more respect for those who take the punches.
Will this fight happen?
Stay tuned…
Anthony “Zute” George is the Author of Tough Man: The Greg Haugen Story, a new boxing book that covers the skilled champion from Auburn, Washington, as well as the scope of the times during his days of pugilism.
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