LIGHTWEIGHT rivals Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney clashed and then agreed to a massive lightweight unification next year.
The two were both in Fresno, California to watch as former four-division champion Mikey Garcia was stunned by Spanish outsider Sandor Martin.
But the night’s headlines were shared when unbeaten pair Haney, 22, and Lopez, 24, were captured in a row.
Their dads, who both train their sons, were also present and involved in the heated back-and-forth.
Lopez stunned Vasiliy Lomachenko, 33, last October to win the WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titles as well as the WBC ‘Franchise’ belt.
Meanwhile Haney is the current WBC champion, and argues Lopez cannot be considered undisputed.
Lopez is set to face mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr, 28, on November 27 after months of delay with the fight moving from Triller to DAZN.
And Haney is looking to return in December and Jojo Diaz – who is without an opponent after Ryan Garcia withdrew with injury – has been sent an offer.
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It would see the two fight in December – before a grudge match between former sparring partners Haney and Lopez can commence.
The pair agreed, if they both prevail in their next fights, they will then face each other next year with all the lightweight titles on the line.
Before Lopez’s withdrew from his initial August fight with Kambosos after testing positive for coronavirus, he vowed to push Haney out of the spotlight.
He told SunSport: “I do not believe this guy belongs in the sport, he’s a fraud, he’s a fake. I can’t respect someone like that.
“And the whole thing is just trying to take him out, he’s done what he has done but this guy’s been fed his whole life on a silver spoon.
“Only those that know him, know him and understand what I mean. I just want the guy out, I need him out.
“But these guys are scared, they really are running away and I wish that people could really see that part, but they’re not going to show that.
“There’s so many fakes in this world too, so when they fake it, they make it, and they’re all fake.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
