“I feel he should start off with a therapist or sports psychologist,” Edwards said to his readers in his mailbag at Boxingscene. “I say that respectfully.”
Lopez defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020, back when the Ukrainian was widely thought to be the game’s pound-for-pound king. Edwards described that win as one among the last decade’s best, yet noted the instability that followed.
The decline began in November 2021 with a 12-round split decision loss to George Kambosos Jr. in his first title defense. A move to the 140-lb division the subsequent yr brought similar struggles against Sandor Martin. Those problems resurfaced against Jamaine Ortiz in 2024. That dominant win over Josh Taylor looked like a return to form, however the old struggles returned in his next few fights.
Edwards said Lopez’s inability to regulate during fights stands out greater than any single technical flaw. He noted that Lopez tends to perform at one extreme or the opposite. He’s either controlling the fight or failing to search out solutions once early plans break down.
“Either he’s on fire all night, or he’s struggling all night,” Edwards said. “He doesn’t start out struggling, determine his opponent, then go on to victory.”
Edwards also pointed to structural challenges tied to Lopez’s stance. His physical dimensions could make it harder to use pressure consistently against longer opponents. Those issues, nonetheless, were secondary to the mental demands placed on any trainer attempting to stabilize Lopez’s performance.
“If Teo does determine to maneuver on to a brand new trainer, that trainer will really have his work cut out,” Edwards said.
Teofimo stays one among boxing’s most gifted fighters. Edwards’ comments suggest the challenge ahead involves rebuilding his confidence as much because it does refining his technique. Consistency, it seems, is the primary priority.