Haney Vs. Lopez: Fans Fear A Boring Fight, Low Entertainment Value On August 16th

Fans are concerned about the entertainment value of the Devin Haney vs. Teofimo Lopez fight for August 16th on PPV. It’s a fight involving two negative styles that could repel when, leading to a boring fight for fans to watch.

Negative Boxing Styles Clash

Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) is a classic runner and clincher, and he does well against aggressive fighters who come forward. Lopez is the same way. He’s a mover, and he seems to have adopted Shakur Stevenson’s style, emulating his approach in a near-perfect copy. Teofimo seems to have been watching a lot of Shakur’s fights lately. He’s become a clone of Shakur, and that isn’t meant to be a compliment.

Turki Alalshikh may not have realized that matching these two negatives in a fight would result in a low-action, tactical clash, involving few exchanges. It’s a fight that would result in a lot of boos from fans if it were staged in the U.S. However, people who watch it on PPV are going to be furious if Haney turns in the type of performance he did against Jose Ramirez on May 2nd.

A better style matchup for each of these defensive fighters would be WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr., who is very aggressive and powerful. However, Haney and Teofimo would never agree to fight Norman Jr. because he’s not popular. There wouldn’t be a goldmine for them to make fighting the 24-year-old.

The “Worth It” PPV Threshold

If the PPV price for the Lopez vs. Haney fight is low enough to make it worthwhile sitting through the boring fight, it’ll be worth it. However, it would have to be very low because even priced at $29, fans would be angry if the fight turns out to be a tactic chess match like we saw in their performances on the May 2nd card. Dropping it to $10 might be the magic number.

Haney-Lopez will fight at a 145-lb catchweight, which will favor the smaller fighter, Teofimo. Haney rehydrated to the mid-160s and looks ghastly, making weight. He resembles a walking skeleton at his weigh-ins. It’s clear that Devin should have moved up to 147 or 154 two years ago. Teofimo will be stronger at 145 than Haney, who could be drained and badly weakened.