Canelo Alvarez has been getting some work in with two-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez. The Mexican superstar recently invited Lopez into his gym for some no-contact sparring, which was caught on camera. The video of their move-around was uploaded on Lopez's social media with the caption: “Escuela de Boxeo,” translating to 'boxing school'. Lopez can be seen throwing some punches while Canelo evades before the former undisputed super middleweight champion turns his man and returns fire. Both boxers showed off some beautiful parries and head movement - and will have gained a lot from the session, especially Lopez.
Reacting to the clip, one fan wrote: “Iron sharpens iron.” Another tweeted: “Gotta love this. Boxing is art.” Meanwhile, a third added: “Defensive masterclass.”
WBO super lightweight champion, Lopez, has been chasing unification fights at 140lbs over the last year to no avail and is prepared to move up in weight to land the big battles. Growing tired of waiting around for the blockbuster showdowns at his natural weight, Lopez is now campaigning for a fight with WBA super welterweight champion, Terence Crawford. “If you look at my track record, everything that I talk about, I walk it as well,” Lopez told Sky Sports of a potential fight with ‘Bud’. “We don't just talk the talk to amp something up, we want to walk the walk. And I just had to remind him I'm the biggest cat in the world, absolutely and because of that we face fighters, great champions and I look forward to facing a fighter like him after this fight [against Jamaine Ortiz] however that pursues itself. This is not a publicity stunt here. I think that if you look at my record and everything it shows that I really choose to face the best. Because that's what ‘The Takeover’ is. What would I be if I didn't do these things? Who would I be if I didn't face the best? That is the only way I become greater.”
Canelo was also linked to a fight with Crawford for some time. HE Turki Alalshikh had the super fight at the top of his boxing wishlist earlier this year and even made Canelo a money-spinning offer. However, the face of boxing refused to respond until after his upcoming clash with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 and stated publically that he ‘doesn’t like the way HE Alalshikh works’. This angered the Saudi boxing chief, who retracted his offer and released a lengthy statement, in which he accused Canelo of being afraid of fighting David Benavidez and Crawford. Since then, it appears Canelo and HE Alalshikh have got back on better terms, although it remains to be seen whether the Crawford clash can be delivered.
Lopez’s New Beginning
Teofimo Lopez has been working out with Canelo Alvarez and trainer Eddy Reynoso this week, looking 170+ lb-ish in what some fans believe is preparation to move up to 154 to take on the big dog, Terence Crawford. Interestingly, the two-division world champion Teofimo’s father, Lopez Sr, is nowhere to be seen with Teo’s workouts with Canelo and Reynoso. There’s speculation that he will be training with Team Canelo from now on, trying to ramp up for a new beginning at 147 or 154, where a lot of money fights are available.
Reynoso and Canelo have a lot of work to do with Teofimo if they want to get him ready to take on killers at welterweight or junior middleweight. If Teofimo wants to challenge WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. for his belt, he must be rebuilt from the ground up because the 23-year-old will be a nightmare. Teo needs a complete overhaul if he moves to 147 or junior middleweight. Even if Teofimo stays at 140, he needs a lot of work because he’s floundering in the division, looking ready to be beaten again.
154: A Land of Opportunity
Moving up to 154 would be a better option for Teofimo if the idea is to expand his pool of opposition, which would bring in the money. If Teo can move up to 154, he would have these fighters available to him:
- Terence Crawford
- Errol Spence
- Sebastian Fundora
- Vergil Ortiz Jr.
- Tim Tszyu
- Serhii Bohachuk
- Israil Madrimov
Teofimo has looked poor in his last two fights against Steve Claggett and Jamaine Ortiz. Those performances showed that Teo is either struggling at the weight or he’s on the downhill slope from the wars he had at 135 against Vasily Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr.
140: A Dead End
It’s pretty obvious that 140 is a dead end for the 27-year-old Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs), all the big fish have disappeared from this small lake, leaving it just a sewer, filled with no-name fighters, and opposition that won’t do anything for Teo’s career.
Lopez has been calling out Crawford but with no luck. However, Crawford needs a big-name opponent to bring in the cash, and it doesn’t look like he’s getting the Canelo mega-payday that he’s been on the campaign trail to get. The 154-pounders are too dangerous and young for Crawford. He’s not going to want to mess with any of them and have one finish the job that Israil Madrimov started on August 3rd.
Canelo and Crawford: A Match Made in Heaven?
The pair may be in different weight classes, but there is plenty for both to benefit from. Canelo faces Edgar Berlanga on September 14 at 168 pounds. Alvarez is the massive favorite, knowing a win could set up a potential Terence Crawford fight. That is where the connection to Lopez may come in. Lopez is a 140-pound fighter who has expressed his desire to move up to welterweight. He did call out Crawford numerous times, who is currently at 154. Bud defeated Israil Madrimov to win the WBA belt in his last fight. Lopez would have to move up two weight classes to fight Crawford, meaning some work against a heavier fighter in Canelo could prepare him for that.
Meanwhile, Canelo would feel what it is like to face a much smaller fighter if he were to face Crawford. But outside of that, Canelo praised Lopez as he felt The Takeover deserved the Crawford fight ahead of him. The following video shows them both sparring lightly, after which Lopez hits the punch bag. The workout will aid Lopez’s desire to become the best by learning from the ‘face of boxing.’ Canelo’s prior comments showed he respects Lopez, as does the Takeover for Canelo.
“I’m not asking for that fight. I think Teofimo Lopez deserves it more than me. My response to Turki is this – yesterday they text me to talk about the Crawford fight in February and I said, ‘I’m not gonna talk about any other fight. I’m focused 100% on this [Edgar Berlanga] fight.’ I respect Turki. But if he wants to work with me, it needs to be my way,” Canelo said
Lopez also praised Canelo, who backed him in beating Crawford in any potential fight.
“I think Canelo is just too big for him. He’s too big, realistically. Too big, too strong and used to that weight class, so you can be a boxer and all those things but it is what it is. Canelo is still the face of boxing and the guy everyone wants to fight, Crawfod wouldn’t want the fight if Canelo wasn’t the face of boxing. It’s a money grab, it’s a money fight,” Lopez stated
The Rise of the ‘Takeover’
While Canelo is the face of boxing, Lopez is struggling to make the biggest fights. This is despite his achievements. He is a two-weight and two-time lineal champion at 140 and 147. He has been trying to make the biggest fights with links to Crawford and Ryan Garcia. However, Lopez has been accused of having poor commercial value and not selling enough. He faced the former Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor in his hometown. While he beat Taylor via a unanimous decision, he failed to sell out for a big bout. Lopez is looking for nine-figure paydays, which harms his chances of getting into big bouts. But by training with Canelo, he can no doubt pick up a few things.
Canelo’s Masterclass
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is in the final stages of his preparation for the fight against Edgar Berlanga on September 14 in Las Vegas. The Mexican fighter will once again defend his super middleweight champion belts at the T-Mobile Arena in Sin City. To prepare for such an important bout, he has enlisted the help of Teofimo Lopez, the super lightweight world champion. Canelo and the Honduran boxer, who boasts a record of 20 wins with only one loss in his category, star in a video that has gone viral on social media. The video shows them training at a camp near Lake Tahoe, on the border between Nevada and California. In the video, Canelo can be seen against the ropes, delivering his best punches and fine-tuning his movements ahead of the upcoming fight against Berlanga. The Mexican fighter gives a masterclass in defensive techniques, working on his waist movement and dodging his opponent, all without wearing headgear and only marking the punches. Trainer Eddy Reynoso is seen overseeing the entire training session between Alvarez and Teofimo, who appears to have become Canelo’s best ally in his preparation to face Berlanga in the ring. The video also shows Canelo explaining to his training partner some tactics to escape from tricky situations when cornered against the ropes.
Teofimo’s New Chapter
In the training footage shared on X titled, “Canelo and Teofimo Lopez in the ring,” Canelo seems to be teaching a few techniques to Lopez to deal with being pressured against the ropes. At first, Lopez threw three jabs. Thereafter, Lopez threw a cross and hook. The drill was then repeated multiple times, as both fighters executed it perfectly every time without faltering. Notably, in 2022, Teofimo Lopez was thinking of adding Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso to his coaching team alongside his father. “He is [a great coach]. I love the connection. I’ve talked to Canelo a few times. Yeah, we’ll see. My father, he’s always going to be my main coach, my #1, my guy. I’m always going to hold it down for him,” Lopez told ESnews. However, the talks died down and the linkup never materialized. Nevertheless, it seems Lopez’s relationship with Canelo has strengthened over the years to the point that ‘Cinnamon’ is throwing away a financially lucrative fight with Terence Crawford for Lopez.
A New Era in Boxing?
Meanwhile, boxing fans made certain astute observations about the fighters’ physical stature and speculated about their upcoming fights. Safe to say, the community was happy witnessing Lopez throw hands with Canelo Alvarez. One fan claimed that Canelo wasn’t as big as they anticipated. Thus, they have a newfound respect for Alvarez’s campaign in the super middleweight division, which has fighters who are much taller than him. The comment read, “Canelo real life small asl. Same height as a lightweight lmao 😭😭 makes his 168 run even more impressive.” Canelo stands at 5 ft 7+1⁄2 inches while Lopez is 5 ft 8 inches. Remarkably, Lopez is actually a fraction taller than Canelo. However, both pugilists compete in weight classes that are miles apart. Another fan claimed that Teofimo Lopez would level up tremendously in his boxing prowess if he had Canelo Alvarez as his stablemate. They commented, “That training with Canelo can turn Teo into a whole different beast.” For sure, Lopez can pick up on some slick head movement, and the left-hook-right uppercut combination from Canelo. Meanwhile, another fan claimed that Lopez is getting prepared to fight one of the most explosive and dangerous boxers in the lightweight division, Gervonta Davis. They commented, “Teo getting ready for Gervonta. ” It must be pointed out to fans that Lopez had earlier expressed his desire to fight “mini-me” Davis after Terence Crawford. In an earlier interview, he also called Gervonta Davis a “fkin pussy” who would not dare to fight him. However, despite the callout, there seems to be no response from Tank’s team regarding a fight. One reason might be the different weights at which they fight. Meanwhile, another fan claimed that Lopez would thrive under Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso. They commented, “Think he’d become much better under Reynoso his dad took him a long way but it’s time to step it up” For those unversed, Teofimo Lopez has been trained throughout his professional as well as amateur career by his father Teofimo Lopez Sr. Therefore, it would be very difficult for Lopez to part with his dad as he considers him a pivotal figure in his success as a boxer. One fan claimed that Teofimo’s outrageous comments in interviews as well as social media can come across as cringe, but they will still continue to champion him, saying, “As cringe as Teo can be that’s my fking guy.”
What do you think about Teofimo Lopez training with Canelo Alvarez? Let us know in the comment section below.
