Teofimo Lopez ponders welterweight move, could he fight Brian Norman Jr. next?
Teofimo Lopez might be changing weight classes soon.
Lopez is the current WBO and The Ring junior welterweight champion. He is fresh off a successful title defense over Steve Claggett in late June. While “The Takeover” could seek title unification at 140 pounds, it appears he may be more intrigued by the possibility of moving up to the welterweight division.
If that’s the case, then a showdown with the unbeaten Brian Norman Jr. could be in the cards.
RELATED: TEOFIMO LOPEZ PRAISES JORGE MASVIDAL: “I LIKE HIS STYLE AND I LIKE HIS SWAG”
Teofimo Lopez Flirts with Potential Move to Welterweight
During an interview with ESPN’s Mark Kriegel, Teofimo Lopez revealed that a fight at 147 pounds might come to fruition sooner rather than later (via BoxingScene.com).
“147 is something that I plan on moving toward, probably even in this next upcoming match,” Lopez told ESPN reporter Mark Kriegel.
Kriegel then asked if a fight with Brian Norman Jr. is something that interests Lopez. The 140-pound titleholder responded with the following:
“Listen, I believe what really sounds swell is ‘Teofimo Lopez, three-division world champion at 27 years young.’ I’m all about that,” he said.
BoxingScene recently interviewed Norman, who told the outlet that he’d welcome a fight with Lopez.
“If [Lopez] wants to come to 147, I will gladly introduce him to the division. Anything is possible. We have seen what he did in the past, trying to be great at a young age. … It could happen, but business is still business. Maybe it won’t happen.”
Whether or not this fight goes down will likely depend heavily on Lopez’s goals. It’s possible that he could still seek title unification at junior welterweight before making the leap to welterweight. Lopez has maintained that he would retain his punching power if he were to tip the scales at 147 pounds.
