Lopez talks the talk but he’s likely to walk the walk too... righton to a KO shot from Lomachenko

TEOFIMO LOPEZ certainly talks the talk.

The lad is an entertainer but you need more than bombast to worry Vasyl Lomachenko.

Their lightweight unification in Las Vegas is boxing’s biggest night behind closed doors post lockdown, a free-to-air treat for the aficionado and one the sport hopes will draw a crossover crowd in these difficult times.

A New Yorker of Honduran extraction, 23-year-old Lopez (left) is a real firecracker. As his unbeaten record of 12 KOs in 15 wins indicates he has real power, but can be hit.

Like many in America’s Latino boxing community, he remains deeply connected to the country of his origins and carries that support with him.

Luke Campbell sparred him in Miami. He brought around 20 guys to the gym. It was like fight night in there.

Campbell attests to his power, said it was a tough spar but dropped him on day two. That is what sparring is about, ironing out the errors. rors.

The problem is you can be pretty y much perfect a g a i n s t L omachenko (right) and still come up short.

Loma is once-ina- lifetime fighter, er, almost impossible e to hit clean. When you punch with power you have to lift, the elbow comes up ever so slightly to trigger the shot.

If you don’t see it you get nailed. And Lomachenko is not unbreakable as we saw with Jorge Linares, who floored him with a southpaw back hand. But Lopez does not have the experience of Linares and is not as slick.

Loma got reckless and walked on to a clever punch. Lopez will be hoping that at 32 Loma is at the point where he starts to slow. I’m not sure.

Judging by his p er formanc e a against Campbell th there is still plenty left in his tank.

He i is an incredible, multifaceted athlete. I don’t know that I have witnessed his like before.

One defeat (avenged) in 397 amateur bouts tells you how special he is. Lopez will have Lomachenko’s respect. He is still young, he’ll be quick and dangerous in the first half of the fight. Loma will have to be careful early, but he works opponents out.

Loma has a brilliant radar that allows him to spot opponent’s triggers. The moment Lopez lifts to throw the big one is the key for Loma to strike.

He is calculating. He will see what Lopez does before he throws. That said, he is human after all – if only just – and could get caught early again.

But Lopez is stepping up into unknown territory here.

I expect Lomachenko to grind him down and most likely stop him in the championship rounds.