Teofimo Lopez sent a message to Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis today on X, letting him know he respects him, nothing personal, but it’s the right thing for them to fight in early 2025. Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) says he’s setting “ example” for his “young man” about how to set an example.
Setting an example
Teofimo leads by example by moving up to 147 to take on Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) for his IBF light heavyweight title, likely on March 1, and knocking him down, finishing what Karen Chukhadzhian started. This move by Theo shows what other fighters need to do to advance their careers.
Ennis’ career has looked shaky in his last four fights, fighting in each of them against Karen x 2, David Avanesian and Roiman Villa. He is primed to lose against Lopez, who has been pushing for a big fight for the past four years since his win over Vassily Lomachenko.
Teofim’s promoter, Bob Arum, at Top Rank, is negotiating a fight with Ennis’ Matchroom promoter, Eddie Hearn, for a joint DAZN & ESPN PPV event.
Lopez, 27, and Boots are the same age. Neither guy has done much in recent years due to the reluctance of the top guys to fight them. Theo repeatedly called out the fighters, but no one showed serious interest because of the risk.
Ennis’ situation is different. He didn’t call out top names, he didn’t fight anyone of note, and he did very little on social media or in interviews to build a following. Furthermore, Ennis hasn’t looked good in his recent fights, and some fans believe he’s a bust, a job Hearn wasted money on signing him.
Fuck you @JaronEnnis and your father Bozzi, however, if it has to go with our careers, I have to do what I do best and take over! I have a young man and he needs to see the best example of what a real fighter is! Nothing but love on this side of B. Only direct work ☝🙂↕
— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) December 10, 2024