Teofimo Lopez Claims He’s ‘The Best Fighter In The World’
Teofimo Lopez says he’s the best boxer in the world which is where his fame comes from.
Lopez is set to return on Saturday in Miami as he takes on Canada’s Steve Claggett. Although it’s a fight many expect Lopez to cruise to a win, but going into the fight, he says he didn’t get into boxing for the fame, but rather wants to prove he is the best, and he believes he is the best boxer in the world.
“I never did it for the fame,” the 26-year-old Lopez said (via BoxingScene). “I never did it for the popularity purpose of it. I did it just to be the best fighter in the world. As a young kid, I wanted to be the best fighter in the boxing game. That’s it. No. 1 of everything. And look at this: I’m only 26. The other guys that they’re rooting for, like [Naoya] Inoue, [Terence] Crawford and them, they’re on their way out or they’re in their 30s already. I’m a baby, and look how much I’ve done in the landscape.
“Two-time lineal world champion, and all this at 25. I got everything done faster and earlier than all of them, so whatever people want to say, they can go and do what they want with it. It’s just competition, and I look forward to being the best version of myself in this fight and moving forward to the next one. Whatever is planned for me in September – whatever is planned for me in December – you know we’re ready for it,” Lopez added…
“I just believe that I’m the best fighter in the world. That’s it. If you want to consider that as fame, then I don’t know what else to tell people. But this is what comes with it. You’ve got to understand that as upcoming fighters, as people that want to come up and be where they want to be, you’ve gotta understand this is what comes with it,” Lopez added.
Teofimo Lopez is 20-1 as a pro and coming off a decision win over Jamaine Ortiz to defend his WBO and The Ring welterweight titles. He’s also the former unified lightweight champion and although he is only 26, he says he has just one fight he wants left and that is Terence Crawford to really cement his legacy.
“I believe the only one I have left to cement my legacy in that degree and get that triple crown that I’m aiming for, and the reason why I came back to add even more to my legacy, is Terence Crawford [having earned all of the belts at 147],” he said. “Terence Crawford is someone I definitely want to have on my resume and definitely want to show the world why I’m not just No. 1, but the best fighter that they’ve seen in a long time.”
