The fight calendar is heating up, and at the center of it all is the ever-calculating His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, pulling strings and setting the stage for boxing’s next seismic clash. The Saudi Royal has been busy mapping out the rest of 2025, and one potential blockbuster features Teofimo Lopez going toe-to-toe with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. But not everything is smooth sailing—analyst Timothy Bradley has issued a stark warning to Ennis about the risks of facing Lopez, hinting that trouble could be ahead.
You see, what happened was, as Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz showed up to their press conference for July 13 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh phoned in to make some interesting announcements. “And now, in front of everyone, we are ready. We are ready to do big fights,” Alalshikh said. He claimed he has big fights planned for August, and he has big fights lined up for October.
“I’m talking with Matchroom–with Eddie Hearn, to do Boots [Ennis] vs Teofimo [Lopez],” he further added. Since then, both Teofimo Lopez and Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, have commented on the matter, suggesting that the discussions are ongoing. If the fight materializes, it would mean Lopez, currently competing at super lightweight, would step up to challenge IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. However, former world champion and current analyst Timothy Bradley has serious reservations about the matchup.
In a video shared by Bradley on YouTube, Bradley issued a strong warning to Ennis. “Boots, he better leave Teofimo Lopez alone,” he said. “He’s got what it takes to beat Boots Ennis.” While Bradley acknowledged Ennis’ skillset and potential, he emphasized Lopez’s superior timing. “Who got the better timing? That’s Teofimo Lopez.” Bradley argued that Ennis won’t be able to overpower Lopez and referenced Lopez’s recent performance against Steve Claggett to make his point.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 20: Teofimo Lopez celebrates his fifth rounf knockout of Edis Tatli during their lightweight fight at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
“That boy Teofimo Lopez—he’s got some lungs too when he’s full-fledged and hungry. He got lungs, too. He threw almost a thousand punches in that fight,” Bradley noted. Still, he praised Ennis’ output, saying, “Your numbers [are] quite high.” Yet he warned that Lopez can match that pace. “All them little lapses you be having, you [can’t have] ’em lapses with Teofimo Lopez,” he cautioned.
“It’s hard to beat that dude. Explosive, smart. He got a high IQ,” Bradley concluded, before issuing a final word of advice to Hearn. “If you don’t want your guy to get beat, stay away from Teofimo Lopez.” Despite the warning from Bradley, Ennis believes he is the best boxer out there.
Despite the Teofimo Lopez challenge, Jaron Ennis doesn’t think most fighters can mess with him
Jaron Ennis made it clear after his dominant win over Eimantas Stanionis that he believes he’s in a league of his own. “I’ll beat anybody in the world,” Ennis said at the post-fight press conference. “I’m the best fighter in the world. I keep saying it. These fighters can’t mess with me.” The 27-year-old IBF welterweight champion silenced his critics by becoming the first man to drop and stop Stanionis, handing the Lithuanian his first loss as a pro or amateur.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 13: Jaron Ennis weighs in at the Westin LAX for his IBF welterweight fight against Custio Clayton being held at Dignity Health Sports Park, on May 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Ennis impressed not just with power, but with improved defense and composure. “I really was just like getting in my bag, gettin’ in my groove,” he added. With the WBA and Ring belts now around his waist, Ennis is eyeing unification with WBC champ Mario Barrios and WBO titleholder Brian Norman Jr. “I just went in there and had fun puttin’ on a show,” he said—and what a show it was.
However, with Norman Jr. busy with Jin Sasaki and Mario Barrios welcoming Manny Pacquiao back into professional boxing, the IBF champion may end up giving Lopez a shot at becoming a world champion in a third division.
Having said that, whether the warning from Timothy Bradley manages to scare Jaron Ennis and ruin Alalshikh’s plans is yet to be seen. However, if the fight actually happens, there’s no doubt it will be a blockbuster one. What do you think about the fight?
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