Terence Crawford has set the stage for a potential showdown with Teofimo Lopez, but he’s made it clear that Lopez needs to prove himself first. In a heated back-and-forth on social media, Crawford, the current super-welterweight champion, has challenged Lopez to fight a former opponent of his, Israil Madrimov, before any bout between them takes place.
Lopez, who currently holds a title at super-lightweight, has been vocal about his desire to move up and take on Crawford. But the 37-year-old pound-for-pound star isn’t making it easy for him. Crawford dethroned Madrimov earlier this year, taking the previously-undefeated Uzbek’s WBA title by unanimous decision, and now he wants Lopez to face the same test.
“You fight and beat Israil Madrimov next, I’ll whoop your ass next, bet? Now let’s see how much you wanna fight,” Crawford declared on social media.
Watch Crawford vs. Madrimov fight highlights: Watch
Lopez, known for his fiery personality, responded by saying, “We either lace up the gloves or shut your hoe ass up!” However, he hasn’t directly addressed the challenge to fight Madrimov. As of now, Lopez doesn’t have a fight scheduled, and it remains to be seen whether he will vacate his title at 140 lbs to pursue the super-welterweight division.
Meanwhile, Crawford has his sights set on even bigger goals. He’s been calling out Canelo Alvarez for a super-fight, though those talks haven’t gained much traction. If the Canelo fight doesn’t happen, Crawford has a unification bout with Sebastian Fundora lined up as another big option.
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Image Credit: Showtime