Lopez balks at Haney fight for 'personal reasons'

A projected combat betwixt WBO airy welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and erstwhile undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney connected August 16 has fallen isolated successful caller days, with Lopez's absorption stating that Lopez volition not beryllium warring for "personal reasons."

Initial reports suggested that the combat was acceptable for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) was originally acceptable to look Ryan Garcia successful a rematch aboriginal this year aft beating Jose Ramirez successful Times Square connected May 2. However, betwixt Garcia losing successful an upset to Rolando Romero successful the main lawsuit and subsequently undergoing manus surgery, that combat was disconnected the table. Lopez, who fought and won connected the aforesaid card arsenic Garcia and Haney, initially called for a combat with unified welterweight champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis contempt being a value people beneath him.

Haney refuted that Lopez (22-1) had signed the declaration and cited the contracted value arsenic the issue.

"The combat with Teo is not signed," Haney posted connected X. "I signed my portion and Teo has been stalling. As of today, helium has decided helium doesn't wanna combat me. He is officially the biggest [duck]...I wanted the combat astatine 147 [pounds], helium wanted the combat astatine 140 [pounds]. We negotiated to conscionable astatine 145 adjacent though helium was consenting to combat [Jaron] 'Boots' [Ennis] astatine 147."

Lopez has been soundless connected the substance but was precocious astatine likelihood with Saudi Arabia's Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and Ring Magazine proprietor Turki Alalshikh, who would beryllium the promoter of the fight. Lopez apologized for a caller tweet barrage, with respective disparaging remarks targeting Alalshikh.

Keith Connolly, Lopez's co-manager, released a connection to Ring Magazine Thursday explaining wherefore the combat isn't happening.

"Unfortunately, Teo won't beryllium warring successful August for idiosyncratic reasons that I volition support confidential," the connection read. "We planned connected warring but with what was going connected helium wanted to marque definite helium was 100% close mentally and physically and August was conscionable excessively speedy of a turnaround. I expect Teo to beryllium backmost aboriginal this year, bigger and amended than ever."