Josh tells Lopez he’ll have to wait his turn
Tartan Tornado Josh Taylor has told WBA and IBF world champion Teofimo Lopez to get in line while he awaits his showdown with Jose Ramirez.
He’s agreed to put his WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine lightwelterweight belts on the line in a unification fight with WBO and WBC champion Ramirez but is still waiting for a date for that contest. Lopez (16-0) wants to move up a division and take on the best but Taylor insists he’ll need to wait until he beats the unbeaten Ramirez to become the undisputed champion before that happens – and he’s convinced he’ll do just that.
“Jose’s a very good fighter – you’re not a unified world champion for no reason,” claimed the Scot.
“He’s tough, he comes forward, he puts the pressure on, front-foot fighter, he mixes the combinations well, he’s a good body puncher, there’s a lot of praise to be said about him. “But I just believe that I’m better than him in every department.
“I punch just as hard as him, I’m stronger than him, I’ve definitely got the
better boxing IQ and boxing brain.
“I’m more intelligent than him, I’ve got more to my game. I believe he fights one way and it’s the only way he knows so we’ll see what happens on fight night but I believe I can outfight him, outbox him and outpunch him – it’s my fight to lose.
“It’ll be a good fight while it lasts, because I’m going to knock him out.”
Lopez, from Brooklyn, also expects Taylor to beat his countryman and, at 23, he’s seven years younger than the Scot but Taylor fancies the fight and he’s confident he’ll come through that challenge as well.
“It’s another fight that can happen, I’m not ruling it out but I think he needs to defend his titles and forget about me for the minute,” Taylor claimed.
“If he moves up I believe I’ll beat him as well. It’s funny how his ego’s just exploded now, but I’d like to cut him down to size.”