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Teofimo Lopez stunned boxing this past weekend when he outclassed the previously undefeated Josh Taylor to win the WBO and The Ring light welterweight. After the fight, which had grown notable for Lopez’s heated (and odd) trash talk, Lopez announced he was retiring from the sport… at 25-years-old.
Regis Prograis doubts Teofimo Lopez has actually retired
Someone who doesn’t buy the retirement talk is Regis Prograis, who is set to fight Danielito Zorrilla this weekend in defence of his WBC light welterweight title.
He spoke to Fight Hype about Lopez vs. Taylor and what he thinks (and wants) to happen next.
“Nah, I think he’s frustrated,” said Prograis (transcribed by Boxing 247) when asked about whether he believed Lopez was officially done with the sport. “He said he got paid a million dollars to fight [Josh Taylor]. That’s terrible.”
“That is terrible money, so I don’t think he’s going to retire.,” continued Prograis. “If me and him fight, he’ll probably get 10 times what he got. So I don’t think he’s going to retire.
“There are too many big fights out there for him. I think it’s a cry out-loud right now because you know what he is going through. He still has mental issues now. He can fight for sure, but it’s still like he has things going on. He only made a million to fight the former undisputed champion. It just makes no sense, but I don’t think he’s going to retire. I definitely don’t think he’s going to retire.”
“He likes money, his dad likes money, so you know they’re going to go back,” added Prograis. “They might say they’re retiring right now. That’s probably how he was feeling, but I think for sure he’ll come back because he can’t walk away from the biggest fight of your life.”
“How are you going to walk away from the biggest fight of your life? So I definitely don’t think he’s going to do it. I think he’s going to come back, and hopefully, he can face me, and he might make 10 million if he fights me.”
Prograis confident he stops Lopez
“I still feel like I stop Teo, for sure,” said Prograis when discussing a hypothetical match-up. “Styles make fights, and I definitely think I’ll stop Teo.”
Prograis added that he sees himself as a different fighter today than the one who lost to Josh Taylor back in 2019.
The loss to Taylor is Prograis’ only pro loss of his career. That defeat, by majority decision, cost Prograis his WBA light welterweight title. The fight also saw the vacant IBF and The Ring titles go to Taylor.
Since that loss Prograis has rebounded with four straight stoppage victories. Last time out, in November 2022, he KO’d Jose Zepeda to win the vacant WBC title.
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