TEOFIMO LOPEZ has told his lightweight rivals that they have to ‘beat somebody that is not a tomato can’ to join him as one of the best boxers on the planet.
After a scintillating unanimous points win against Vasyl Lomachenko, The Takeover added the WBO, WBA and WBC ‘franchise’ belts to his IBF strap.
Suddenly everybody’s P4P list – where skills and attributes are measured with weights out the window – had to be rewritten.
The now unified lightweight world champion – who is number seven on SunSport’s own rankings – has since called out American rival Devin Haney.
While Floyd Mayweather recently stirred the pot by claiming Gervonta Davis is best fighter after he knocked out Leo Santa Cruz last month.
Lopez however is in no doubt that he deserves to be on the P4P list as he warned his rivals to step up if they are to challenge him.
He told talkSPORT Fight Night’s Adam Catterall: “It’s amazing. I believe top five is where I belong.
“One thing I don’t like is that it’s me and Loma next to each other. I’m like, ‘Ugh, nah, kick him out.’
“In reality though, it’s crazy just to see your name on there. To see that out of many, many fighters in the world, and you’re in the top five.
“It goes to show me that we’re doing something big. I’m very happy and I’m very appreciative of those who have acknowledged me for all the hard work and all the stuff that we have done.
“For anyone that’s trying to be in the pound-for-pound list alongside me, you have to beat somebody that is not a cab driver, that is not a tomato can and that actually has a pulse.
“As regards to ‘Tank’ Davis, to Devin Haney, to Ryan Garcia, to all the other fighters out there.
“Because I know they’re trying to squeeze some of these other guys into the pound-for-pound list now that I’m on. But nah, not yet.”
