Teofimo Lopez Faces a Choice: Fight Catterall or Vacate the WBA Belt

Teofimo Lopez has been dangled a spot on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11 — but only if he agrees to a mandatory defence he's been trying to dodge. The WBA has ordered him to face Jack Catterall, a 33-2 (14 KO) technician who's ranked #9 at welterweight and coming off arguably the best night of his career.

Both camps have until October 22 to reach terms, according to WBA president Gilberto Mendoza. Miss that window and a purse bid hearing gets called. Lopez, meanwhile, is weighing whether the belt is even worth the trouble.

The Champion's Fork in the Road

Lopez arrives here off a majority-decision win over Rolando Romero (17-2, 13 KO) last month, a night that included a genuine scare in the fifth round before he pulled the fight back into control. The scorecards flattered Romero more than the action did. Even after a one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson back in January, the 29-year-old three-division champion clearly still belongs at this level.

The problem is ambition. Lopez has openly floated unification fights at 147 — a bout with WBC champ Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KO) chief among them — and reportedly, per journalist Dan Rafael, he's mulling vacating the WBA title altogether to chase bigger paydays. Catterall is not part of that glamour itinerary.

Catterall Isn't Waiting Around

Catterall took the direct route on social media, telling Lopez he'd happily scrap on the Fury-Joshua bill in Cardiff — and that if Lopez preferred, he'd simply fly to America and take the belt there instead. It was a polite challenge with a hard edge: either way, he's coming.

Catterall earned this shot by unanimously outpointing Shakhram Giyasov in May to claim the WBA 'Regular' strap, a performance that upgraded his stock considerably. As the reigning champion, Lopez holds the leverage to pick the venue — home soil in the States or a marquee slot under the Fury-Joshua lights. The clock, not Catterall, is now his real opponent.

If Lopez does say yes to Cardiff, he'd headline-adjacent one of the biggest heavyweight nights British boxing has served up, with Joshua (29-4, 26 KO) fresh off a sixth-round stoppage of Jake Paul. If he vacates, Catterall likely gets the belt against someone else. Decision time closes October 22.