Undefeated American super lightweight fighter Arnold Barboza Jr. has disclosed his readiness to face compatriot Teofimo Lopez in his next outing.
Barboza, 26-0,10KOs is struggling to find an opponent in the ring.
Not many are looking to jump into the ring with him, so he’s calling his shot and Teofimo Lopez’s name is the first off his tongue.
Barboza last fought in August, defeating Antonio Moran by unanimous decision.
The 29-year old holds the WBO international super lightweight title, but solidifying a fight with undisputed champion Josh Taylor is no easy feat.
It doesn’t help that Taylor is injured, and his contest with Jack Catterall is postponed until February 2022.
That doesn’t bother Barboza though as he feels that he has some unfinished business with undisputed lightweight champion Lopez.
The 24-year-old American is slated to fight George Kambosos Jr. next, but he’s growing boxing star who’s capable of bringing in a big paycheck for his opponents.
That’s not the primary motivating factor for Barboza whose primary reason for calling out Lopez stem from comments and actions made by Lopez’s father, Teofimo Lopez Sr.
“I got a video from a friend, and it had Teofimo’s dad saying like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna fight Kambosos in November,’” Barboza told FanSided.
“He had this whole plan, right—Kambosos in November and then Barboza in January, and before we go to Taylor.
“I was like, okay, cool, whatever. And then I seen an interview that he did, with I forgot who, and he says the same thing, but he said, ‘Oh, yeah, and then we’ll fight in January, Barboza as a tune-up fight before we fight Josh Taylor”.
Lopez vs. Kambosos takes place on November 27, 2021 and if Lopez’s hand is raised in victory, Barboza is more than happy to welcome him to the super lightweight division.