“That was a fight that I signed for. I didn’t just agree to it. I signed, and I thought it was almost done with. We were just waiting on his signature,” Haney said.
Haney explained that both fighters had already accepted their financial terms before Lopez withdrew from the agreement late in the process.
“He agreed to his terms, and I agreed to my terms. And then at the last second, he pulled out of it and went another way. So right now, that’s not a fight I’m willing to entertain just because of those things.”
The proposed bout had been targeted for August 2025 when both fighters were campaigning at light welterweight (140). Haney had pushed for the matchup at the time and believed the agreement was essentially complete once he signed his portion of the contract.
Teofimo ultimately withdrew from the deal for personal reasons before the fight could be finalized, ending negotiations that had already reached the contract stage. Interest in the matchup resurfaced recently after Lopez announced plans to move to the welterweight division following his loss to Shakur Stevenson in January.
Lopez has said he remains interested in facing Haney once he settles into the new weight class, but Haney indicated that the breakdown of the earlier agreement still affects how he views the possibility of revisiting the fight.
The stance comes as Haney is also linked to a potential bout with Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero for the WBA welterweight title. Romero holds the belt, but has produced uneven results in recent years, including knockout defeats against Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz and the controversial stoppage victory over Ismael Barroso.
A fight between Haney and Lopez would likely attract more attention from fans than a bout with Romero. Teofimo remains one of the sport’s more theatrical personalities and often drives much of the conversation surrounding his fights.
Haney’s comments indicate that the collapse of last year’s agreement remains a sticking point when the possibility of the fight comes up. The possibility of the fight remains open in theory, but for now, Haney appears unwilling to revisit it.
