Teofimo Lopez Sr, the father of WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo, is eager for his son to face Terence Crawford in the ring. However, Lopez Sr. has doubts about Crawford’s bravery, suggesting that he is afraid and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) like a war veteran. Despite this, Crawford, the unified welterweight champion, has shown no interest in fighting Teofimo, believing that he is simply using his name to gain attention and publicity.
Lopez Sr. believes that Crawford is scared of his son and predicts that if they were to fight, it would be the end of Crawford’s career. He compares Crawford’s fear to that of a soldier returning from Vietnam, haunted by the terrifying experiences they witnessed. Lopez Sr. imagines Crawford calling out for Teofimo in the middle of the night, unable to sleep due to the shame of losing to his son.
Instead of fixating on Crawford, it would be more beneficial for Lopez Sr. and Teofimo to focus their energy elsewhere and not waste their time on pursuing a fight with him. Promoter Eddie Hearn has offered Teofimo a significant opportunity to unify the belts by facing IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias, which could greatly enhance Teofimo’s reputation if he emerges victorious.
The reason behind Crawford’s silence and lack of response to Teofimo and his father’s challenges may be strategic or simply disinterest. It is possible that Crawford is waiting to see if he will be chosen by Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, for a fight in May or September. Fighting Canelo would bring Crawford much more financial gain than facing Teofimo, and he would not want to jeopardize that opportunity by engaging in lengthy negotiations with Teo.
Considering that it took Crawford a year to secure a bout with Errol Spence Jr., it is reasonable to assume that negotiating a fight with Teofimo would also be a time-consuming process. Therefore, it is not worth Crawford’s time and effort when he is still hopeful of being selected for a lucrative fight against Canelo.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com