“No, I actually don’t [like the Romero rematch] because the first fight was a dull fight.” Oscar De La Hoya, the promoter for Ryan Garcia, told The Ring about his intentions for Garcia’s next move. This was amid a feud between the two, which was reignited after Oscar aired personal messages between the two. Instead of Romero, however, Oscar wanted his star boxer, who has one fight left in his contract with Golden Boy Promotions, to face someone else. Who?

Well, none other than Teofimo Lopez! It appears the Victorville native has finally come on board with the potential bout, relinquishing his intentions to face Rolando Romero in a rematch after his shock defeat last May in New York. In tune with his promoter’s suggestion, Ryan Garcia confidently called out Lopez for a fight during a brief conversation with The Ring a couple of days ago. And he seemed confident about his chances. 

“I don’t know what’s going on with Teofimo Lopez. He’s been quiet,” Garcia told The Ring. “If he wants to run it, he can get it. I’ve always liked that fight for myself.” Garcia feels their boxing styles complement each other well, claiming he would knock Lopez out thanks to his punch selection. “With the way I throw punches, I would crack him. I’m definitely his kryptonite,” Garcia added. Reflecting on his past desires, he said, “I’ve been wanting that fight for a long time.”

Since these comments from the 27-year-old, Lopez seems to have answered Garcia’s call. “After I whoop on [Shakur Stevenson] and make him cry like the lil b—h he is… I am calling out [Ryan Garcia],” Lopez posted on X earlier today. Interestingly, as Garcia charts his comeback against Lopez, a tempest has been quietly gathering between Lopez and Shakur Stevenson — a simmering rivalry that now appears poised to erupt into a blockbuster night of boxing spectacle.

Ryan Garcia is in limbo, as Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson picks up steam

After defending his WBC lightweight strap a third time against William Zepeda last month, Shakur Stevenson called out Teofimo Lopez while expressing his desire to move up in weight. Since then, Lopez recently hopped on X to ask his followers to choose between Stevenson and Richardson Hitchins for his next fight. 

Stevenson quickly caught wind of it on X, responding, “[You] called me out lil dude, I told [you] I’m down.” This riled up Lopez, as he didn’t take long to come up with a potential date for their fight. “It’s going to feel good when this ‘lil dude’ makes you his ‘lil b—h’ in January! I suggest you take all the SNAC you possibly can, & even that won’t help,” Lopez wrote on X. 

Stevenson hit back, demanding Lopez agree to fight him ASAP. “[You] know what feels even better, [you] agreeing to the fight now[.] Shut yo p—y a– up and make it happen,” Stevenson wrote. 

It appears Ryan Garcia was a little late to the party, as Teofimo Lopez is in the mood to shut Shakur Stevenson up for good. However, only time will tell who ends up fighting whom. Who do you think Lopez should fight next?