Teofimo Lopez Called Out by Jack Catterall for Fury-Joshua Undercard Clash

What Happened Jack Catterall has thrown down the gauntlet to Teofimo Lopez, publicly calling out the WBA welterweight champion to defend his title on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card set for Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11. Catterall earned his mandatory status with a career-best unanimous decision over Shakhram Giyasov back in May, and he's not interested in waiting around.

Lopez, for his part, is coming off a majority decision win over Rolando Romero last month — a fight that dethroned Romero and looked far more dominant in the ring than the scorecards suggested. It capped a strong run for the three-division world champion, who bounced back nicely after suffering a setback in January.

Why Lopez Might Not Want This Fight Right Now Here's the wrinkle: Lopez has bigger plans. He's been vocal about wanting a 147lb unification showdown with WBC champion Ryan Garcia — a fight that would generate far more buzz and money than a mandatory defense against Catterall. According to boxing insiders, Lopez is even considering vacating the WBA belt entirely rather than deal with the mandatory obligation.

That's a real possibility in modern boxing, where titleholders increasingly treat belts as leverage rather than obligations. But it would also hand Catterall a massive opportunity — the Englishman has made clear he's happy to travel to the U.S. and fight for the vacant title if Lopez won't engage on home turf.

The Fury-Joshua Card Angle As reigning champion, Lopez holds the cards here — literally and figuratively. He has the right to choose where he defends, and slotting onto the Fury-Joshua undercard would be a massive stage: a stadium show in Cardiff with a global audience tuning in for the heavyweight main event. For Catterall, fighting on that card would be the biggest opportunity of his career, win or lose.

Catterall's message was blunt and to the point: fight me in Cardiff, or I'll come get my belt in America. Either way, he expects the fight to happen soon.

What's Next Nothing is locked in yet. Lopez has to decide whether he wants unification glory against Ryan Garcia, a mandatory clash with Catterall, or simply vacating the title to sidestep the whole situation. With the Fury-Joshua card looming in December, time is tight for negotiations — and boxing fans will be watching closely to see which direction Lopez goes.