- Teófimo López and Sandor Martín, who fight on Saturday, met this week.
- López tried to scare Martín by yelling in his face, but the Spaniard responded strangely.
- Martin asked a question that is rarely heard at boxing events. “Would you like a kiss?”
clashes in boxing they can often be brief but strange, uncomfortable and very stressful situations.
It gives combat athletes a first look at how their opponent measures up and how they might react if one instigates nasty trash talk or other mind games.
Former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez tried to scare off Saturday’s opponent, Sandor Martín, during this week’s matchup by yelling in the Spaniard’s face.
Martin seemed, at best, only mildly perturbed before turning the script on Lopez by leaning into his face and asking a question rarely heard in matchups.
“Would you like a kiss?” Martin can be heard asking in the video.
Lopez didn’t seem to know what to say or do.
His face really says it all.
Teófimo López looked away first during the exchange with Sandor Martín.
Photo by Top Rank
If the goal of a matchup is to get your opponent to break first, then boy, did Martin succeed when Lopez looked away seconds after the question without even saying a word.
Watch the awkward exchange here:
—Absolutely not 👹 (@TheKidIrv24) December 6, 2022
López and Martín headline Saturday’s boxing show
The two fighters headline a boxing extravaganza promoted by Top Rank on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which will air on ESPN+.
Lopez’s victory will further elevate him in the world rankings and increase his chances of fighting Josh Taylor in a US vs. UK fight.
Jared Anderson, Top Rank heavyweight star.
Photo by Getty Images
Elsewhere on the card, American heavyweight Jared Anderson hopes to knock Jerry Forrest out of the ring, while other elite prospects Keyshawn Davis and Xander Zayas compete in separate fights.
Tiger Johnson, another promising young star, fights Mike O’Han Jr.
We’ve seen kissing before in boxing matches.
Dereck Chisora and Carl Baker.
Photo by Getty Images
Sandor Martin at least I ask López did want to kiss.
Earlier in the career of veteran heavyweight boxer Dereck Chisora, he did not even seek consent and forced himself on Carl Barker during a confrontation, leading to a melee.
Relive that incident here:
Chisora defeated Baker by second-round knockout in a 2010 fight in London.
