By Adam Baskin: Tim Bradley gave Teofimo Lopez another excuse to dislike him at the moment by his decide of Josh Taylor to defeat him of their combat this Saturday night time on ESPN on the Hula Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York.
Bradley notes that Teofimo’s energy didn’t carry up with him from 135, the place he’d proven to have one-punch energy.
Towards the larger guys at 140, Teofimo (18-1, 13 KOs) lacks the pop in his punches to attain knockouts like he’d achieved at light-weight. Bradley says he wasn’t impressed with both of the 2 fights
Tim feels that except the previous unified light-weight champion Teofimo scores a knockout on Saturday, he’ll lose to WBO gentle welterweight champion Taaylor (19-0, 13 KOs), and he may get stopped.
A knockout loss for Teofimo could be catastrophic for his profession, as it will be a transparent sign that he received’t win one other world title.
This week, Teofimo 25, has talked incessantly about defeating Taylor after which beating the opposite three champions within the division to develop into the undisputed champion at 140.
Teofimo = one other Emperor Norton?
To make sure, Teo sounds delusional, but when he will get overwhelmed badly by Taylor, he’ll lastly see the chilly, bitter reality in entrance of him.
A defeat would possibly ship Teofimo over the deep finish, turning him into one other Emperor Norton determine, a mentally shattered particular person, embellishing his previous credentials, roaming round, making mindless proclamations, and fully gone.
In his interviews, it’s readily obvious that Teofimo has an concept of what he’s up towards combating Josh Taylor and doesn’t look assured in an actual sense.
You’ll be able to inform from watching Teofimo that he is aware of he’s the underdog on this combat, and he’s simply hoping he can discover the identical magic that he as soon as possessed to get the victory over the previous undisputed 140-lb champion Taylor.
Teofimo wants a knockout to win
“So I’m going with Taylor as a result of he’s the veteran at 140 kilos of his profession. He’s fought a variety of powerful guys within the weight class, together with Regis Prograis. I’m occurring his physique of labor and what he’s achieved over the course of,” stated Tim Bradley to Fighthype about his alternative for Saturday’s match between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez.
“If anyone is aware of Regis Prograis and the way good he’s and the way effectively he fights and the way laborious he hits and he was capable of soak up his punches and really combat Prograis and beat Prograis at his personal recreation, then there’s little question in my thoughts that he can take the punch of a Lopez, regardless that he’s been off for a while and regardless that he’s coming off an
damage,
“I feel he can take his punch, and I feel he’s mentally powerful sufficient to endure what he must endure. I feel that he can step to Lopez and take Lopez to a spot that he has by no means been to or probably a remembrance of his time when he fought towards George Kambosos
again in New York.
“I’m going with Taylor. I feel his aggression, his physique punching, and he’s a greater inside fighter. He’s the larger fighter, the taller fighter; he can field, he can counterpunch extraordinarily effectively
“I do know Teo is a gifted athlete; he’s a incredible counterpuncher himself; he doesn’t use his jab all too typically. So doesn’t Taylor. Taylor doesn’t both. Taylor doesn’t use his jab all too typically both, however I simply
assume he’s a greater, extra full fighter than Teofimo Lopez,
particularly at 140 kilos.
“If Lopez can’t hit him and harm him and knock him the hell out, I’ve to say, I received Taylor, and he would possibly even cease Lopez late within the combat,” stated Bradley.
Lopez’s energy not the identical at 140
“Look, man, I’m going to let you know one thing. Teo had that energy at 135 kilos. It ain’t seen the identical energy at 140 kilos,” stated Bradley. “It’s not that explosive one-punch energy. I don’t assume it exists at 140. I’ve seen him a few instances at 140, and I wasn’t impressed. I’ve not been impressed together with his work at 140.
“However I’ve been impressed with the work from Taylor. His final combat,
he received beside himself .you realize he was filling himself a bit bit an excessive amount of. He admitted that to me. He stated that to me to my face.’ Tim, I received a bit beside myself. I wasn’t taking good care of myself like I used to be purported to. I assumed I used to be going to get in there, and I simply catch this man [Jack Catterall] and knock him out similar to everyone else thought
I used to be, however clearly, that didn’t occur.’
“I assumed he misplaced the combat. To be sincere with you, I assumed he misplaced the combat, however this time, towards a man like Teofimo Lopez, a man that’s harmful, he going to be prepared. There’s little question in my thoughts, he’s gonna be prepared, and I do know Teo’s gonna be prepared as effectively as a result of he is aware of he has a tricky activity in entrance of him,” Bradley stated.
Josh Taylor ought to win
“I’ve all the time informed Teo. I stated, ‘Man, if you end up 100 mentally on level, nobody can beat you.’ I’ve all the time informed him that,” stated Bradley. “If he’s one hundred percent mentally centered and devoted with out a entire lot of affect outdoors the ring, nobody, I stated nobody can beat him.
“He’s that rattling good. He’s that rattling proficient, however we haven’t seen. I haven’t seen the very best Teofimo below 140 kilos, so it’s actually laborious for me to actually to choose him to win the combat. It truly is.
“After watching them in his final combat towards Sandor Martin, a left-hander, a man that’s received nice footwork, motion, one thing that Taylor can do good, footwork motion simply stand in entrance.
“Teofimo struggled towards him. so I’m going with Taylor. Once more, Taylor ought to win this combat, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he was to cease Teofimo, but when Taylor was one hundred percent, it may very well be a unique story.
“If Teo is a 100 up, 100 mentally, 100 bodily prepared however 100
% mentally, he’s a foul boy,” stated Bradley.
