In one of the more confusing world title situations — completely created by the WBC’s incessant need to create more belts and titles — Teofimo Lopez breaks out two different WBC title belts along with certificates of authenticity by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.
Lopez flashes both belts during this conversation with Fight Hype as he claims he is in fact the undisputed lightweight world champion, contrary to whatever Devin Haney has to say.
“This is what’s going on, this is the ‘franchise’ and the ‘regular’ (belt),” Lopez said while holding up both belts for the camera. “And if they don’t believe it, I got a certificate for it, baby. Signed and sealed, you heard, by the man himself, Mauricio Sulaiman. I am the undisputed lightweight world champion.
“Yo, Devin. What up with you, man? What up with you?! That email, I should put a stamp on that shit. What you got? You a Yahoo! champion, Gmail champion? Which champion you is?”
When pressed on the confusing title situation the WBC has created, Lopez tried to simplify things but putting it like this:
“Ladies and gentlemen, think of it like this, I’m the WBA ‘super’ world champion, Gervonta Davis is the WBA ‘regular’ champion. Teofimo is the WBC ‘super’ world champion, Devin Haney’s the WBC ‘regular’ champion, or email ‘regular’ champion. Because right here it states ‘registered with no. 130, the WBC registers this lightweight world title vs Vasiliy Lomachenko on October 17th, 2020 at The Bubble MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.’
“Look at it right there, ladies and gentlemen,” Lopez continued while showing the certificate. “That is the WBC lightweight world title, which I have right here in front of me. No franchise on that label.
“And then this one, ladies and gents, this one right here, my certificate ‘the WBC franchise world title vs Vasiliy Lomachenko.’..Boom. Certified...So for everybody, we got to get that out the way, you heard. That’s franchise and this is the real WBC lightweight world title,” Lopez said as he held up both belts for the camera. “Sorry, Devin. You got played, son...they taking you for cheddar.”