Teofimo Lopez’s new advisors: can they save him?


Teofimo Lopez has signed a multi-year consulting deal with Keith Connolly and Mike Borao. WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo (21-1, 13 KO) says he’s going to be “fight against the best” and will be in “big fights” this year.

If the new advisors could give Teofimo talents he doesn’t possess, his career would be in great shape by the end of 2025. But that seems unlikely. This year could be the worst of his career for Lopez, and he would be at the end of his rope after February 2026.

High-risk fight schedule

It’s good that Teofimo signed a multi-year contract, but these guys can’t keep his career afloat if he intends to “fight against the best”, as he puts it. He doesn’t seem capable of winning his two fights in 2025, and he could lose in February 2025 as well.

Lopez, 27, will compete in three pivotal fights that could completely sink his career. He is expected to fight the IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins in April in a two-belt unification, then move up to 147 to challenge the IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in October.

If Teo loses to Ennis, he will face the loser of the Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia rematch in February 2026. This would be a consolidation fight for the losers. Teo losing this fight would finish him at 0-3, and it’s hard to see him coming back to recommit himself, no matter who manages him.

Lopez floated around the Ring Awards event in London on January 11, performing like a superstar, but his career isn’t looking good after a string of horrible performances since 2021. He got the chance to fight Subriel Matias recently on PPV in the West. Coast but refused it. Some fans saw this as a case where Teofimo knew he would lose, so he chose to deflect the fight.