The 135 lbs unified titlist Teofimo Lopez is backing the WBC champion Devin Haney to defend his title against Jorge Linares on May 29. Although fans consider Lopez and Haney as arch-rivals, ‘The Takeover’ still wants ‘The Dream’ to turn 26-0. However, there’s a catch, as Lopez only wants Haney to win as his wish is to be the first boxer to deny ‘The Dream’.

Meanwhile, Lopez will box George Kambosos Jr. in a unification bout on June 19. Hence, both the lightweight champions need to retain their titles to seal a matchup against each other.

Ahead of their respective encounters, Teofimo Lopez had a chat with Boxing Social. He said, “My whole thing actually, I hope, I hope the best for both of those guys. I really want Devin Haney to do his thing because, at the end of the day, I want to cut his head off. So, that’s my whole mentality man.”

He added, “I don’t feel sorry for none of these guys, but it’s definitely a step up for Devin Haney, you know. Jorge Linares is a 4-time world champion, and he is the guy that put Loma down on his a** once. This guy knows what he is doing, let’s see what Devin Haney can bring to the table.”

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If Haney bags the win, Lopez would be a win away from sealing the matchup. The lightweight division is blooming with big names at this stage and fans certainly want to see ‘The Dream’ and ‘The Takeover’ box against each other.

Devin Haney vs Teofimo Lopez- Preview

While Haney was searching for a viable contender to defend his title, Ryan Garcia bagged the WBC (Interim) belt. But he didn’t express any interest in boxing Haney. Meanwhile, Teofimo Lopez dived into the conversation and seemed interested to stage a unification lightweight championship bout.

Since he boasts the WBC (franchise) belt, ‘The Takeover’ was billed to go against Devin Haney. The two also sparked a verbal war in Mike Tyson‘s Hotboxin’ podcast.

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However, it faded away with time, and both men went ahead with their respective championship defenses. While they are keen on challenging each other, the future might bring them inside the ring soon.

Do you see Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez fighting this year?