Eddie Hearn Says Teofimo Lopez Isn’t Getting $10 Million To Fight Devin Haney
Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn says that Teofimo Lopez won’t be getting the dollar amount he’s asking for to fight Devin Haney.
Lopez has made it clear that he’s targeting Haney. In fact, he attended a Matchroom Boxing card headlined by Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith. During the broadcast, Lopez shouted at Hearn from the crowd to let it be known that he wants to fight Haney. Lopez is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, The Ring, and WBC (Franchise) Lightweight Champion. Haney holds the standard WBC gold.
Hearn’s problem is Lopez’s asking price. Speaking to Boxing Social, the Matchroom Boxing face said $10 million isn’t feasible for “The Takeover” (via BoxingScene.com).
“I think Teofimo Lopez against Haney is a wonderful fight. Listen, [Teofimo] asked me for $10 million for that fight. You can’t get there, but I’m sure we can make him a nice offer. Teofimo is a nightmare at the moment for Bob Arum, and Bob isn’t mincing his words at the moment. He’s had enough. So [Teofimo’s] saying, ‘I want this, $5 million minimum, I want $8 [million], I want $9, I want $10 [million].’ So right now, I’ll leave that to Bob and Top Rank to put those numbers together because in this world right now, it ain’t going to happen.”
Hearn also said Lopez can’t call himself the true undisputed champion because the “Franchise” version of the WBC belt doesn’t qualify. The promoter also said, however, that Lopez doesn’t deserve to be put in the awkward position of having the “Franchise” label on his WBC gold.