Teofimo Lopez planning to bully Vasiliy Lomachenko, says fight won’t go 12 rounds

Boxers and promotional firms are trying to stay busy right now with no major live cards likely to happen until at least June, which has led to a lot of Skype interviews and what have you as the various companies try to keep the fighters’ names on the minds of the fans.

Teofimo Lopez has had plenty to say recently, chiefly about his likely lightweight title unification at some point this summer or whenever with Vasiliy Lomachenko. Lopez spoke with Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher about the fight, and predicts an early end.

“I feel like it’s gonna be — not a quick night, but it’s gonna be a good middle [rounds] type of fight where it’s not gonna go all the way,” the IBF titleholder said. “It’s not gonna go 12 rounds.”

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KO) will have major experience and technical advantages, which he has against pretty much everyone he faces. But Lopez (15-0, 12 KO) is a natural 135-pounder, which Loma is not, and he thinks that he can use his size and power to his advantage.

“I don’t see it being technical,” said Lopez. “It will be technical at some points, and then at points it’s gonna be pretty much just muscling him, being a bully.”

The two did meet in the fantasy realm in our March Mania lightweight final, with Lomachenko winning that vote by a huge margin. No mistake, it’ll be considered a big upset if Lopez is able to do what he’s saying he will, but you never know until they actually get in there and duke it out.

Lomachenko-Lopez was tentatively planned for May 30 on ESPN+ pay-per-view from New York, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum recently told us he’s not making any concrete plans for the fight right now, as he’s waiting to see how everything shakes out with the COVID-19 pandemic.