Musical Chairs at 147: Garcia-Teofimo in "Advanced Talks" as Catterall Waits and Paro Knocks

Whisper Update, Oct. 27: Feb. 6 penciled in, and the WBA clock has run out ⏳

REPORTED. Garcia vs. Lopez now has a target date. The Ring (x.com): "Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez are in advanced talks for a 147lb unification bout on Feb 6th in New York or Las Vegas 👀". Kimster has the straight report (on Boxbid).

Mike Coppinger (x.com): "Would be surprised if Garcia-Teofimo didn’t take place next. Feb. 6 is the targeted date right now as talks continue. The WBA decision won’t impact talks and neither will any prospect of a Floyd Mayweather fight. That, in the unlikely event it happens, would take place after Teo."

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The WBA. The Lopez-Catterall negotiation window closed at close of business ET on Oct. 22 (WBA order: wbaboxing.com). As of ~10:30 PM PT Oct. 27 we found no WBA ruling on Team Teofimo's appeal and no purse-bid notice. Under the order, the WBA "may" call a purse bid; it isn't automatic.

Eddie Hearn isn't waiting. iFL TV's caption (x.com): "“THEY AIN’T CHANGING THEIR MIND”", on Lopez's appeal over his mandatory against Catterall. Per bet365 News's write-up of that interview (news.bet365.com), Hearn said: "So, Jack Catterall will be fighting for the WBA world title next." And: "It will either be against Teofimo Lopez, or if Teofimo Lopez vacates his belt, Jack will be elevated to full champion and he will be in a big fight early next year in Manchester."

Sam's take on the logo fight is here (on Boxbid).

Boxer pages: Ryan Garcia (on Boxbid), Teofimo Lopez (on Boxbid), Jack Catterall (on Boxbid).

Rumor-Meter update (Oct. 27)

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• Garcia vs. Lopez, Feb. 6: HOT (REPORTED). Advanced talks, date targeted, nothing signed.
• WBA grants Lopez an exception: COLD. No ruling yet.
• Catterall elevated if Lopez vacates: WARM (REPORTED). Hearn's read, not the WBA's.

The music just changed tempo, darlings. 🎶🪑

REPORTED. The big one. The Ring's Mike Coppinger posted on X on Oct. 15 (x.com): "Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez are now in advanced talks to fight in the first quarter of 2027, sources tell @ringmagazine. Expect this welterweight title fight to happen next. And it's a big one." The Ring's own post says the same: "Ryan Garcia vs Teofimo Lopez is in advanced talks to take place in the first quarter of 2027, sources told The Ring's @MikeCoppinger." (x.com) Advanced talks aren't a contract. Nothing is signed, and there's no date or venue.

The chair that's still taken. On Sept. 22 the WBA ordered Lopez to face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall. Negotiations close at the end of business ET on Oct. 22, and after that a purse bid may follow (WBA: wbaboxing.com). Lopez is appealing. DAZN's Chris Mannix reported that he'd be willing to go to court (The Ring: ringmagazine.com). Catterall told Inside The Ring: "There's not one ounce of me that will say yes to any step aside to let any unification happen." (via The Ring) Coppinger's read on X (x.com): "I believe the Garcia-Teo fight will happen regardless of the WBA's ruling here. Catterall could end up being elevated." That's his opinion, not a WBA decision.

The side angle: Paro wants a seat too. IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro told Fox Sports, as written up by Boxing News (boxingnewsonline.net): "We're not going to sit on the sideline." And: "I'm going to defend, looking to defend late November, early December with a top-15 opponent, keep busy, and hopefully snag Garcia early next year." On where: "I'd love to fight him here, but if it means travelling to Vegas … that's on my bucket list, to headline in Vegas." If Garcia-Teofimo lands in Q1, Paro's "early next year" gets a lot harder. Boxing News also says a Paddy Donovan mandatory is expected to be ordered soon.

For the backstory, see Garcia's two-round stoppage of Benn (on Boxbid), Teofimo's Fork in the Road (on Boxbid), Two Letters, One Belt (on Boxbid), and our Teofimo-Ryan Dream Match (on Boxbid). Boxer pages: Ryan García (on Boxbid), Teófimo López (on Boxbid), Jack Catterall (on Boxbid), Liam Paro (on Boxbid). Make your calls on this week's open picks card (on Boxbid).

Rumor-Meter

• Garcia vs. Lopez, Q1 2027: WARM (REPORTED). The Ring's sources call it advanced talks, but it isn't signed, and the WBA's Catterall order and Lopez's appeal are still pending.
• Lopez vs. Catterall: WARM. The WBA order is in writing, the deadline is Oct. 22, and Coppinger floats Catterall being elevated instead.
• Garcia vs. Paro, early 2027: COLD-WARM (RUMOR). One champion is asking, and Garcia-Teofimo now looks like it's first in line.

Whisper Update, Oct. 19: Team Teofimo petitions the WBA. 📝

REPORTED. Teofimo Lopez's manager, Keith Connolly, told BoxingScene's Tom Ivers (boxingscene.com) that talks for a Garcia fight in the first quarter of 2027 have "advanced significantly", and that they've asked the WBA for an exception to the Catterall mandatory: "We have put legal paperwork in and they said they're going to revise and consider us getting an exception."

He added: "We've challenged their mandatory defense because if you look at the WBA ‘super’ champion rules, they're allowed to make a unification. We're petitioning the WBA and we think that we have the right, within the WBA ‘super’ champion rules, to make the unification fight."

Nothing is approved. It's a request, not a ruling. BoxingScene notes the WBA officially ordered Lopez to face Catterall in September (x.com).

Rumor-Meter update (Oct. 19)

• WBA grants Lopez an exception for Garcia: COLD-WARM. The petition is in, and there's no decision.
• Garcia vs. Lopez, Q1 2027: still WARM (REPORTED).

Who gets the Garcia chair when the music stops? Start a fan page or drop your pick in the Boxbid community. 👀

You didn't hear it from me… 🤫