News
'Lopez will never be forgiven for the Kambosos loss' - Paulie Malignaggi shared his unfiltered opinions
Paulie Malignaggi, renowned for his unfiltered opinions as a pundit, has not held back in criticizing current world champion Teofimo Lopez. The lightweight and super-lightweight divisions have witnessed a surge in talent, leading to some memorable matchups. Teofimo Lopez played a significant role in this, achieving unified champion status at 135 pounds with a stunning upset win over the future Hall of Famer, Vasily Lomachenko. However, Lopez's reign was short-lived, marred by an unexpected loss to George Kambosos Jr. In a spirited performance, Kambosos traveled to New York and secured a split decision victory against a seemingly sluggish Lopez.
“Lopez will probably never be forgiven for the Kambosos loss. If Lopez didn’t have that loss – which is utterly ridiculous, every time I see Kambosos fight I still can’t understand how Lopez got beat by that guy – but if you take it away, which you never will so he’ll never be forgiven, that guy’s on the pound-for-pound list maybe top three or four.”Malignaggi, speaking on ProBox TV, expressed his strong opinions about Lopez's performance, stating, "Lopez may never be able to live down the Kambosos loss. It's almost unbelievable; every time I watch Kambosos fight, I still can't fathom how Lopez was defeated by him. But that loss will haunt him forever. Without it, he could have been on the pound-for-pound list, possibly in the top three or four." Subsequently, Kambosos lost the belts to Devin Haney. After nearly a year of absence from the ring, Lopez moved up to the 140-pound division. He delivered two decent performances before challenging Josh Taylor, the former undisputed champion in that weight class.
Malignaggi believes that Lopez's victory over Taylor establishes him as the top fighter in the division. He stated: “Lopez has done some insane things, man, including coming back and beating Josh Taylor. He was dynamite at 135 pounds and he’s shown at 140 when he’s on point he’s dynamite there as well. For me, he is the guy to beat at 140.”Despite briefly announcing his retirement after the Taylor fight, Lopez has confirmed his intention to continue competing. Additionally, he has been elevated to the status of Super Champion by the WBO, granting him certain privileges and choices regarding his opponents. Devin Haney, who has also moved up to super-lightweight, may be his next challenger.
