As we reported earlier, the de facto ex-absolute lightweight champion (up to 61.2 kg) American Teofimo Lopez (17-1, 13 KOs) had an opponent replaced for a fight on December 10, which will become the main event of the boxing evening in New York. York (USA).
Instead of the ex-champion in two categories, Puerto Rican Jose Pedraza, who had health problems, the Spaniard Sandor Martin (40-2, 13 KOs) should now enter the ring with Teofimo, who became widely known thanks to last year’s victory over the famous Mikey Garcia.
At the same time, the fight will be a candidate fight according to the WBC in the light welterweight (up to 63.5 kg) – the corresponding decision was made at the recent Congress of the organization.
Lopez’s plans and goals with the change of opponent, however, do not change.
“We definitely want a fight with Josh Taylor right after the fight with Martin,” says the father and trainer of the American, Teofimo Lopez Sr. “But we don’t look behind Martin, we need to go through him first.”
Lopez-father has no doubt that in one or two years Lopez-son will win all the prestigious titles at 63.5 kg: “We are going here to take another absolute, so whoever we have to fight on the way to it, we will do it. I predict that my son will be a two-time absolute champion until 2024. Or, at most, it will be in 2024.”
We add that the above-named Taylor until recently was an absolute himself, but at the moment he only has the WBO title left, which he will have to defend on February 4 in a rematch against Jack Catterall.
Source:
AB Boxing News