Sports
Roy Jones Jr advises Teofimo Lopez to make a major change after Stevenson defeat
On Saturday night, Teofimo Lopez fell well short of expectations as he was dominated by Shakur Stevenson in a fight that cost him his world title. Since then, Lopez’s father and trainer has criticised his performance, and Roy Jones Jr has now had his say on those comments.
On three identical scorecards, Lopez won only one round in a fight that was anticipated to be a 50/50 affair beforehand, as Stevenson cruised to a comfortable victory at Madison Square Garden, with Lopez being unable to provide any resistance.
Following the scrap, Lopez Sr has spoken out and slammed the display of his son, telling Seconds Out that Lopez Jr failed to follow the game plan that he had set out beforehand.
“I was 100 percent sure we were going to win. For some reason, the game plan, my son didn’t do what I told him he was supposed to do. His rhythm was supposed to be different.
“Congratulations to [Stevenson] for winning, but that was not my son in there. I think the media — everything leading up to this fight was talking already about Shakur fighting in May.
“The winner [of this fight] was supposed to fight in May. I think that probably got to him.”
On the All The Smoke Fight YouTube channel, four-division world champion Jones Jr suggested that Lopez should seek out a trainer that better listens to him and provides him with what he needs.
“This is why at some point, as a man, you have got to go and get your own team.
“You can’t be there and just depend on him, because a lot of the time father’s get mad and they are gonna blame everything on you because they’re your father and they’re gonna think ‘well, he didn’t do what I told him to do’.
“You gotta stop allowing him to tell you what to do, so that he can’t ever blame that on you.”
“At this point, somebody should be listening to what he [Lopez Jr.] says more.”
Lopez is now eyeing up a move to the welterweight division, whether he makes that jump with his father in his corner or not remains to be seen.