Bob Arum has no plans to propose Teofimo Lopez another lightweight fight given the potentially catastrophic cutting issues he could have. Top Rank president said Lopez is still recovering from a severe defeat from George Kamposos November 27 in New York.
Lopez, an asthmatic, had air in his chest and heart after losing his belts to Kamposos, which could be potentially fatal to the boxer. Lopez's symptoms worsened when he began to rehydrate after weighing in.
“The fighters must avoid this. He didn’t cut the weight as he should. He was severely dehydrated. He had problems with his lungs and esophagus. He almost died. I told him, “Make sure you're okay,” said Arum. “I will meet with him and his father, he will no longer compete in lightweight, he needs to perform in 63 kg.”
In light of what happened to Lopez, Arum believes that the widespread practice of cutting weight drastically in boxing in order to gain a physical advantage over his opponent is wrong. Lopez has repeatedly stated how difficult it was for him to overcome the 61 kg limit, even before his victory over Vasily Lomachenko in 2020. In addition, Lopez (16-1, 12 KOs) did not involve his usual nutritionists in the fight with Kambosos.
“He has to move up in weight,” Arum said of his boxer. - The only thing I hate about boxing is artificial weight reduction. They think it gives them an advantage, and it probably is. They are fighting in a division where they really don't belong. They should be in a higher division, but everyone starts to fight in a lower division, because that way they get an advantage in size over their opponents. "
Top Rank has a myriad of high-profile 63kg fighters that Lopez can face, including joint champion Josh Taylor, Jose Ramirez, Jose Cepeda and Jose Pedraza.
