Notebook: Talks for Lopez-Matias crater amid Lopez/Top Rank feud
Keyshawn Davis to challenge WBO titlist Denys Berinchyk in tripleheader main event; Sturm back in action; Duarte-Prograis in works; Quick hits; Show and tell
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
A fight between lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and former IBF titleholder Subriel Matias, which had been in discussion for the past month or so — but was never in the process of “being finalized,” as reported by ESPN three weeks ago — is now dead.
On Wednesday, Lopez posted to social media his side: “I haven’t rejected the fight, they rejected my counter offer!”
While Top Rank said Matias’ side was on board for what was being positioned as a pay-per-view fight on March 15, probably in Las Vegas — although the date was never set in stone, according to Top Rank — Lopez had never agreed to terms and ultimately did not.
Coinciding with the stalemate between Top Rank and Lopez was Lopez’s torrent of negative social media posts over the past several days toward the company and its president, Todd duBoef, as well as his mention that his divorce from his wife would be final in the coming weeks.
Lopez, who is seeking to have Top Rank buy out the remainder of his promotional deal — although Top Rank is under no obligation to do so — has turned down various fights, including the opportunity to challenge WBO welterweight titlist Brian Norman this past fall and to defend against Jose Ramirez in late 2023.
Top Rank had hoped Lopez would have fought this past Sept. 27 in New York, but Lopez declined and Top Rank’s show was instead headlined by the Sandy Ryan-Mikaela Mayer WBO women’s welterweight title bout.
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs), 27, a Brooklyn, New York, native fighting out of Las Vegas, who is a former unified lightweight champion, impressively outpointed Josh Taylor in June 2023 to win the lineal/WBO junior welterweight title, after which he announced a very short-lived retirement that lasted a few days.
Since then, Lopez has not looked particularly good in two defenses, a lackluster and disputed decision over Jamaine Ortiz in February and a shutout of journeyman Steve Claggett in June. Lopez picked Claggett as his opponent over more notable opponents offered to him in Raymond Muratalla, Kenneth Sims Jr. and Elvis Rodriguez.
Lopez had said he wanted to fight a third time in 2024 and to fight on pay-per-view but turned down both opportunities, and now his 2025 debut is in limbo.
He is not only once again at odds with Top Rank but he has also broken with career-long manager David McWater, multiple sources told Fight Freaks Unite. McWater did not respond to multiple calls or text messages.
Make sure to check out the 2024 award stories