“Which means that very soon Top Rank will be able to deliver us an undisputed lightweight champion. There are ways to scuff the shine of that distinction to be sure, and no chance the winner retains all of that hardware for very long, considering the promotional and network goodwill required for so heavily-belted a fighter to fulfill his mandatory defenses. Making the fight would mean convincing Lomachencko to face the still unproven though undeniably dangerous Lopez; and perhaps Lopez—who thus far has been properly irreverent in speaking of “Hi-Tech”—will recalibrate his ambition when finally offered the challenge he has courted. Oh, and only the new and naive would expect Top Rank to delivery promptly a fight it can tease for a year or so, especially considering what little incentive there is for the company to get their present or future knocked off by the other—an outcome the loser might interpret as proof of favoritism.”
Read Nearing the Ledge: Richard Commey Stops Ray Beltran–Is Teofimo Lopez Next? on Hannibal Boxing.
In Between Rounds 