Although their rivalry has carried steam for years, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez won’t settle it inside the ring anytime soon.
There were reportedly recent talks for a fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds for Aug. 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Those plans have seemingly gone down the drain, and “The Dream” wasted no time setting things straight over the failed fight negotiations on X.
Related: Devin Haney next fight – 3 opponent options for “The Dream’s” return to the ring
“The fight with Teo is not signed! I signed my part & Teo has been stalling,” he wrote. “As of today, he has decided he doesn’t wanna fight me. He is officially the biggest 🦆👎🏽 🍅.”
There was an apparent disagreement over the weight, as Haney stated in a separate post that he wanted the fight contested at 147 pounds. Lopez, however, eyed the clash in his natural weight division of 140 pounds, where he is the current WBO champion. Therefore, the catchweight of 145 pounds was reportedly agreed to.
Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez were each other’s backup plan after other fight fell through
Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) scored a unanimous decision win over Josè Ramirez in his welterweight debut on May 2. The two-division champion wasn’t his sharpest, as it was his first time returning to action following a one-year hiatus. The victory put Haney in a position for a rematch with Ryan Garcia later this fall. A man he has had bad blood with since their first meeting in April 2024.
Even though Garcia suffered an upset unanimous decision loss against Rolando Romero for the vacant WBA welterweight title in the headliner of the same card, the fight was still considered. That became less likely now, after “King Ry” had surgery on his right hand last week.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) cruised to a unanimous decision win against Arnold Barboza Jr., in the opening bout of the Ring Magazine card in Times Square. It was his third successful defense of the WBO title, after he dethroned Josh Taylor for the championship belt in his 140-pound debut in June 2023.
Following his win, “The Takeover” called out unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, who holds the IBF and WBA titles. In a recent video on social media, Lopez expressed his disappointment as he stated “Boots” and his team turned down a potential fight.
The feud between Lopez and Haney dates back to their time at lightweight, where they have each taken jabs at each other through social media, and even had a tense altercation in the stands ringside in 2021.
