Teofimo Lopez dismisses WBA's Jack Catterall mandatory, rules out fighting Devin Haney for now
After claiming the WBA's welterweight title, Lopez is focused solely on the winner of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn, regardless of what the sanctioning body wants next.
Jack Catterall's mandatory fight for the WBA welterweight title against Teofimo Lopez has been dismissed by the champion. The matchup, which would create a WBC and WBA unification, has been ruled out for now by Lopez as he aims to secure a rematch against Devin Haney. He expressed no interest in fighting Haney immediately, stating that he would wait for the undisputed championship opportunity.
Lopez, who held multiple welterweight titles in 2020, believes he was unjustly denied undisputed status after his victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko. He is eager to prove his undisputed claim by defeating Haney. The mandatory fight for Romero against Jack Catterall, initially assigned to Romero, has been shifted to Lopez due to a contract dispute.
However, Catterall's promoter Eddie Hearn maintains that the WBA has clearly stated that Lopez would be the one obligated to fight Catterall.
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