IBF lightweight world titlist Teofimo Lopez Jr. says he is not buying into any plans promoter Bob Arum has to hold fights in empty arenas in Florida.
“I know Bob Arum wants to put on fights in June, July and August, but I do not want to fight without fans,” Lopez told ESPN’s Ahora o Nunca on Wednesday. “I am not going to fight [Vasiliy] Lomachenko or anyone without fans.”
Last week, Arum said he is looking into the possibility of scheduling boxing events in Florida this summer, using WWE’s facilities, with Gov. Ron DeSantis having deemed the professional wrestling company an “essential business” in the state.
Arum said he has discussed the possibility with Top Rank president Todd duBoef and that bigger fights would not be held without live audiences.
“Those are either going to have to wait ’til you have spectators, or if the fighters get antsy, they will have to deal with an adjustment in their purses because you will have cut off an important revenue source from the event,” Arum said.
Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), who was supposed to fight WBA, WBO and WBC titleholder Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) in a unification bout in the 135-pound division on May 30, is not likely to know his future until a state is cleared to reopen and a sanctioning body greenlights boxing again.
The 22-year-old Lopez said that if and when the fight gets made, he hopes it will be his last at 135 pounds. He also said he does not buy into the Lomachenko hype.
“I don’t feel like he is the best pound-for-pound ahead of Canelo [Alvarez], [Terence] Crawford,” Lopez said of Lomachenko. “Lomachenko, yes he is good, but never in his life has he fought against someone like me.”