Plans for a unification fight between Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez appear to be facing obstacles. On Tuesday, the WBA officially mandated Lopez to defend his welterweight title against Jack Catterall, giving both fighters until October 22 to reach a deal before a purse-bid hearing is scheduled.
Lopez currently holds the WBA “Super” welterweight championship, while Catterall possesses the WBA’s secondary “World” title. A matchup between them would unify the WBA titles at 147 pounds.
Catterall, with a record of 33-2 and 14 knockouts, captured the WBA World title last May after defeating Shakhram Giyasov near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Originally designated as the mandatory challenger for Rolando “Rolly” Romero, the WBA allowed Romero an exception to fight Lopez first, with the winner required to face Catterall afterward.
Exactly one month after Lopez claimed his title, the WBA enforced its promise to Catterall by issuing the mandatory defense order.
Lopez, who stands at 23-2 with 13 KOs, had been preparing for a unification bout against WBC welterweight champion Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs). Lopez made a surprise appearance at the final press conference for the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight and was present in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena when Garcia called him out following his second-round TKO victory over Benn earlier this month.
Lopez may still pursue negotiations with Garcia if a step-aside agreement is reached with Catterall or if he opts to vacate his WBA belt.
Garcia mentioned to Uncrowned shortly after his win against Benn that he aims to have a tune-up fight in December or January before a major bout on Cinco De Mayo weekend. This timeline could give Lopez enough time to fulfill his mandatory defense against Catterall before potentially engaging in a significant unification fight.
Fan Take: This development is crucial for fight fans because it underscores the complexities of championship politics that often delay dream matchups. How Lopez navigates this mandatory defense could shape the welterweight division’s landscape and determine when we see the highly anticipated Garcia-Lopez showdown.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
