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

Teofimo Lopez has signed a multi-year advisory agreement with Keith Connolly and Mike Bora. WBO light heavyweight champion Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) says he will “fight with the best” and will be in “big fights” this year.

If the new advisors could give Teofim the talent he doesn’t have, his career would be in great shape by the end of 2025. However, that doesn’t seem likely. This year could be the worst year of Lopez’s career, and he would be at the end of his rope after February 2026.

Schedule of high risk fights

It’s great that Teofimo has signed a multi-year deal, but those guys can’t sustain his career if he intends to, as he says, “fight the best.” He doesn’t seem capable of winning his two fights in 2025 and could lose in February 2025 as well.

Lopez, 27, will participate in three matches that could completely sink his career. He is expected to fight the IBF light heavyweight champion Richardson Hitchins in April in unifying the two belts, then moved up to 147 to challenge the IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in October.

If Theo loses to Ennis, he will face the loser of a Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia rematch in February 2026. It would be a fight for a consolidated losers bracket. Theo would lose that fight and end up 0-3, and it’s hard to see him coming back to reinvest, no matter who manages him.

Lopez hovered around the Ring Awards in London on Jan. 11 carrying himself like a superstar, but his career isn’t looking good after a string of terrible performances since 2021. He had a chance to fight Subriel Matias recently at the West Coast PPV, but refused. Some fans saw it as a case of Teofimo knowing he was going to lose, so he decided to turn the fight around.

OFFICIALLY. #Boxing @BORAOENT k @connolly005 💰📈 pic.twitter.com/HeF0ZKjJaK

— Teofimo Lopez (@TeofimoLopez) January 20, 2025

Teofimo Lopez tells ESPN that he has signed a multi-year advisory deal with Mike Bora and Keith Connolly. “I’m going to focus on fighting the best and let Mike, Keith and my dad focus on everything else.” Expect big fights from me in 2025 and beyond. This is a download. Period.…

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 20, 2025