Devin Haney vs. Teofimo Lopez Match Canceled
In a surprising turn of events, the anticipated boxing match between Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez will not take place. Negotiations fell through for a proposed fight set to occur at a catchweight of 145 pounds on August 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Details of the Negotiation Breakthrough
Haney took to social media to clarify the situation, stating that while he had completed his part of the deal, Lopez has been hesitant to finalize the agreement.
The 26-year-old Haney, with an impressive record of 32 wins and 15 knockouts, expressed his disappointment online, labeling Lopez as the “biggest duck”—a term used in boxing to describe a fighter who avoids challenges. Haney had indicated a preference to fight at 147 pounds, while Lopez, 27, had shown interest in competing at 140 pounds. As a compromise, they agreed on a 145-pound catchweight.
Event Context and Competitor Background
Previously, both fighters were notable champions at lightweight, with Lopez famously defeating Vasily Lomachenko in October 2020 to claim three of the four major belts, while Haney held the WBC title.
Lopez later lost to George Kambosos Jr., who Haney then defeated twice to emerge as the undisputed champion. Both fighters also dipped into the super lightweight division briefly but faced setbacks. This led to Haney’s decision to move up to welterweight following a controversial no contest against Garcia in April 2024.
Promotional and Public Reactions
The fight’s promoter, Turki Alalshikh, had initially aimed for a rematch between Haney and Ryan Garcia, as well as a matchup between Lopez and Ennis. However, with Garcia’s unexpected loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Ennis’s refusal to fight Lopez, Alalshikh shifted his attention to the Haney-Lopez bout.
Despite both fighters agreeing to terms, Lopez’s recent series of deleted social media posts criticizing Alalshikh momentarily halted negotiations. After an apology from Lopez, it appeared that the fight might be back on, only for Lopez to ultimately back out, leaving fans and pundits disappointed.
