Teofimo to Follow Canelo’s Path? Lopez Demands Top Rank Contract Be Declared Invalid

WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez has reached out to his promotional company, Top Rank, claiming that his promotional agreement is invalid and that he should be declared a free agent.

Teofimo’s argument is based on the fact that when he signed his new contract with Top Rank in December 2022, he was initially scheduled to fight José Pedraza. However, Pedraza was later replaced by Sandor Martin, whom Lopez defeated by a judges’ decision. Lopez claims that since he did not fight Pedraza, which was necessary for the contract extension, the agreement should be voided. On the other hand, Top Rank believes that Lopez fulfilled the contract by defeating Martin.

Two other events preceded this letter. First, Teofimo trained in the same gym as Saúl Álvarez while Álvarez was preparing for his fight against Edgar Berlanga. Later, during a fan meeting, Lopez revealed that he plans to return at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025 in an event organized by Canelo’s company.