Devin Haney says Teofimo Lopez won't fight him in August. The two boxers were set to face off in Saudi Arabia, but Haney claims Lopez has backed out.
Haney signed his part of the deal for a 145lb catchweight bout. The weight was a compromise between Haney's preferred 147 and Lopez's 140.
"The fight with Teo is not signed! I signed my part & Teo has been stalling. As of today he has decided he doesn't wanna fight me he is officially the biggest ???????????? ????"
Haney posted this on social media, accusing Lopez of ducking the fight. He added:
"& I wanted the fight at 147 he wanted the fight at 140 we negotiated to meet at 145 even though he was willing to fight boots at 147."
Lopez hasn't responded to these claims yet. He last fought in May, beating Arnold Barboza by unanimous decision to keep his WBO super-lightweight title.
Haney's had an eventful year. He lost to Ryan Garcia in April, but that result changed to a no contest when Garcia tested positive for a banned substance. Garcia got a 12-month ban. Haney then beat Jose Ramirez in May.
The Haney-Lopez fight looked set to happen after Garcia lost a surprise fight to Rolly Romero in Times Square. That result scrapped plans for a Haney-Garcia rematch.
If Lopez really has pulled out, it's another big fight that's fallen through. Fans will have to wait and see if this matchup can be saved.
