_1659595714.jpg)
Bill and Devin Haney have done their absolute best to poke and antagonize both Teofimo Lopez and Teofimo Lopez Sr. Ultimately, the endgame for team Haney is to lure the Lopez’s into a mouthwatering showdown at some point in 2023.
Of course, long before the Haney’s began pushing their buttons, a collision course between them was ostensibly on the horizon. With Lopez knocking off Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 to claim the lightweight division’s IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC “Franchise” titles, Devin Haney offered to place his WBC trinket on the line to crown the division’s lone undisputed champion.
Yet, despite the two sides agreeing to settle their differences in the ring, George Kambosos Jr. threw a proverbial monkey wrench in their plans. On November 27th, 2021, following months of postponements, the Aussie native would go on to dethrone Lopez, before losing back-to-back bouts against Haney.
In the immediate aftermath, Lopez has moved on from the lightweight division and has since campaigned at 140 pounds. This upcoming weekend, the 25-year-old will attempt to solidify himself as a bonafide contender when he takes on Sandor Martin in the main event slot in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Although the Haney’s have their own plans, tentatively moving into a matchup against Lomachenko in the first half of 2023, Lopez Sr. reveals that a showdown between his son and Haney simply isn’t feasible.
Considering that Lopez vs. Martin represents a WBC title eliminator, placing the winner in an ideal position to face newly minted champion, Regis Prograis, Lopez Sr. concludes that the path his son is currently on doesn’t bode well with the Haney’s.
“Not the way we’re fighting,” said Lopez Sr. when asked if his son will face Devin Haney sometime soon during an interview with BoxingScene.com. “These guys gotta move up. We’re already doing what we’re doing at 140. We’re getting closer to that belt.”