Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has big plans for rising star Teofimo Lopez fresh off another big win.
Arum spoke to Boxing Talk and the long-time promoter had nothing but praise for the undefeated Lopez, who won his last fight against Diego Magdaleno on February 2. When asked about Lopez's ceiling, Arum said it is virtually limitless as the undefeated boxer is making waves across the lightweight division and could be making heading to a title fight in the not-so-far future.
"I think he's a real prodigy. He's something that we see once in a generation, a kid who people didn't think that much of when he became a pro, who developed a style that the public loves and he's very effective in the ring. I think the sky is the limit for Teofimo," Arum said.
With Lopez looking to move into title contention soon, one potential championship Lopez could be chasing would be the WBC title currently being held by Mikey Garcia. With Garcia moving up in weight to challenge for Errol Spence Jr.'s IBF welterweight title, Arum thinks it's possible that Garcia would not return to lightweight, leaving the WBC title for the taking for Lopez.
"Obviously everybody is looking to the WBC whose champion is Mikey Garcia, but he's fighting at welterweight and whether he wins or loses, it's hard to believe he'll be coming down to lightweight. If you're preparing yourself to fight a guy like Errol Spence you've got to bulk up your body. For him to go back to 135 after that is problematic, so I think Mauricio is looking towards the future. If Garcia gives up the title he's looking for candidates to fight for the title that mean something and could be potential foes for Lomachenko," Arum said.
In regards to what's next for Lopez, Arum said he plans to have him fight on the pay-per-view card for Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan on April 20. The full interview can be read here.
