Hall-of-Fame promoter Bob Arum says he is “completely baffled” after learning that Teófimo Lopez has walked away from an eight-figure Saudi purse and a signed agreement to face two-division rival Devin Haney on 16 August. The bout was so advanced that VADA had already received Lopez’s whereabouts forms. “When someone is handing you money you’ve never seen, why are you angry? This is nuts,” Arum said, adding that Haney was the far more winnable option compared with unified welterweight ruler Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Negotiations appeared complete earlier in the week, with Haney signing and Lopez’s camp initially indicating the same. Yet Haney revealed on X that Lopez had never put pen to paper, a claim later confirmed to Alalshikh’s team. The collapse follows Lopez’s social-media outburst branding the Saudi backer a “dick-tator” - an insult he publicly retracted before citing “personal reasons” for withdrawing.
Arum, who insists he “can’t counsel someone who isn’t listening,” believes the reversal damages both Lopez’s earning power and Alalshikh’s ongoing efforts to lock down other high-profile dates, including the still-unconfirmed Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford showdown pencilled for 13 September. “Turki must be chagrined,” Arum said, noting that recent Saudi cards - criticised for tepid action and limited U.S. access - needed a marquee rebound.
For now, Haney is left without an opponent and Lopez without the career-best payday many felt would stabilise his turbulent relationship with promoters and fans alike. In Arum’s words: “I can’t think of a theory for what Teófimo is trying to do - except throw away the kind of opportunity fighters chase their entire lives.”
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Image Credit: DAZN