Timothy Bradley has a name for Teofimo Lopez’s first title defense, and it is not one of the names Lopez has been shopping.
Lopez became a three-division world champion on August 22, taking the WBA welterweight title from Rolando Romero by majority decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The judges turned in 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez, with the third scoring it 114-114. Romero opened a cut over Lopez’s right eye in the fifth and hurt him, but Lopez was the busier and sharper fighter over 12 rounds.
Jack Catterall is next in line with the sanctioning body. The Englishman took the WBA regular welterweight title from Shakhram Giyasov by unanimous decision in Cairo in May. WBA president Gilberto Mendoza ruled that the winner would get his crack at the full belt within 180 days, a window that closes on November 19.
Bradley, speaking in a video posted to YouTube, told Lopez to take it.
Teo, you gotta face Jack Catterall next. Yeah, you gotta honour that [mandatory duty]. You just got the belt, right? You gotta defend that title against Jack Catterall.
He’s been waiting patiently, and it’s his time and his opportunity.
Lopez has bigger names in mind. He has pointed at Devin Haney, Liam Paro and the winner of Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn, which lands at T-Mobile Arena on September 12 with Garcia’s WBC welterweight title on the line.
His team is working the angles. Boxing News reports that manager Keith Connolly is hunting a route around the mandatory so Lopez can chase the bigger paydays.
A November defense looks unlikely regardless. Lopez said after the Romero fight that he is expecting another child and plans to rest for the remainder of the year.
