LEGENDARY US boxing promoter Bob Arum has sensationally claimed Teofimo Lopez ‘almost died’ while cutting down to 135lbs to fight George Kambosos last year.
Lopez was beaten on points by Kambosos in a shock defeat at Madison Square Garden in November, which left Lopez battered and bloodied.
And Arum has since revealed that Lopez shedding the pounds from light welterweight to lightweight could have resulted in a ‘fatality’.
He told FightHype: “First we want to get him healthy. He should have never been fighting at 135 [lbs] against Kambosos.
“He almost had a fatality. He almost died because of the way he made weight.
“It’s not a joke. I think he’ll be okay at 140 [lbs]. He has some other physical problems that we’re working on him now and taking care of him.
“Once those problems are solved, we’ll look for an opponent and get him back in the ring.”
And to avoid a repeat health scare, Lopez will bulk back up to light welterweight for when he next enters the ring.
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But as Arum alluded to, Lopez is currently experiencing ‘physical problems’ – and therefore doesn’t have a date in the diary for his next bout.
Those problems could well be the dangerous chest condition discovered in the aftermath of the Kambosos loss.
Not only could Lopez have died trying to make weight for the fight, but it was also claimed by a doctor that the condition – pneumomediastinum – could also have been fatal.
It involves having air in the space between the chest and the lungs, and was only diagnosed in the aftermath of Lopez’s defeat.
As a result Lopez could be out of action for some time, although could still return to the ring at some point this year.
The 24-year-old has previously mooted the possibility of an undisputed clash against Scottish light-welterweight world champion Josh Taylor.
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