Today Top Rank held the final press conference for this weekend’s 140lb title fight between champion Josh Taylor and challenger Teofimo Lopez. Needless to say, Lopez had plenty to offer by way of words, but not nearly as much by way of wisdom. But when Lopez was asked about whether or not he genuinely meant all of the words he’s said towards Taylor in the build-up to this fight, Lopez didn’t feel the need to walk anything back.
“I speak my truth, how I feel,” Lopez said about his war of word with Taylor. “So, yeah, everything I speak out, I’m just trying to make it into existence. The law of attraction, having good faith in it, and just putting on a show and giving the fans what they really want to see, a good performance.
“(This fight) means everything. What is the takeover if he doesn’t take over the guys that are in the division, right? So, when it comes to Josh Taylor, junior welterweight, he’s the guy, and you got to beat the guy to be the greatest, right? So this is what we aim for all the time.”
Taylor was then posed the same question about whether or not he really dislikes Lopez or if they’ve just been building the fight.
“There is a bit of genuine dislike here,” Taylor said. He’s been disrespectful and a lot of words he said I’m gonna make him pay for on Saturday. So, yeah, I can’t wait to get in there.”
Then, when asked for his prediction for Saturday night, Lopez was brimming with a smile.
“I’m excited about this. This is like a dream come true,” Lopez said. “What more can you really shoot for? This guy, I mean, no one has really called out Josh Taylor, who knows why, maybe because he beat everybody already. So, for me, I’m here. I’m here to come in there and take everything you got. That’s what we are, ‘The Takeover’.”
“I can’t wait until you come and try,” Taylor responded.
“Ain’t no trying with me, man” Lopez shot back. “That’s the thing with me. Everybody got a plan until they get punched in the face, shout out to Mike Tyson.”
“Mike Tyson again, here we go,” an exasperated Taylor said. “Clown. Have you not got any quotes of your own?”
“I do have one,” a proud Lopez said, sensing his moment at immortality. “I just made it up yesterday. I think it says ‘Aim for death, for that’s where life begins.’”
“Ah, okay. Wow,” an unimpressed Taylor replied. “No comment.”
“I think it’s a good one,” Lopez shrugged. “You aim at death, for that’s where life begins. Everybody’s scared of death, I don’t know why, we’re all gonna die. But at least if I die it’s gonna be for something that means something, for something that’s gonna last forever. It’s what greats are all about, something that you don’t really know.
“At the end of it all, I’m ready to take over, put on a show for everybody,” Lopez continued. “Listen, it’s been a great run, thank you Top Rank, thank you ESPN for the love and support. For myself, this is what, my seventh year now as a professional, and about to be a seven time world champion within that time frame.
“I mean, that’s great, at 25-years-young. I mean, this is what we’re all about, man,” Lopez reiterated. “Remaking history, making history, and giving the fans and the kids, giving the youth a good thing to follow on. They need that. They need that motivation to know that they could do that, too. The only way you can: there’s earth, there’s man, and in between that you bring the realization within yourself, from the heavens.”
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