Najee Lopez might be the hot shot prospect in the light heavyweight division but not all of his contemporaries are impressed.
Anthony Sims Jr. let out a sizable yawn as Lopez continued his onslaught last weekend. On the other end of his one-sided beating was longtime veteran, Gilbert Castillo Rivera. Once referee Emil Lombardi waved things off, a gigantic smile was etched onto Lopez's face. But while he's convinced that he’s ready for the rest of the division’s upper echelon, Sims can’t wrap his head around the hype.
In fact, if Lopez ever decided to jump in the ring with him, Sims is confident that the hype train would come to an end.
“I’ll stop his ass,” said Sims during an interview with Tha Boxing Voice. “He ain’t got no chin.”
Sims isn’t just talking for no reason. He believes he has indisputable evidence that proves Lopez can’t take a good shot.
Against Steven Sumpter last year, Lopez (13-0, 10 KOs) found himself staring up at the ceiling lights in the fourth round. Of course, he peeled himself up off the mat and went on to get the victory. But his reputation has already taken a hit.
Sims has been incredibly inactive as of late but when it comes to punching power, he has plenty of it. With 20 knockout wins in 25 pro fights, he’s positive Lopez would be victim number 21.
Calling out a burning hot prospect and actually landing the fight are two different things. It all comes down to high risk vs. low reward. Meaning, Sims doubts Lopez will take the bait.
In a few weeks, it will be two years since Sims made an appearance. Ring rust, however, isn’t something he’s worried about. He won’t eschew Lopez if given the opportunity. If the 25-year-old wants his moment in the sun truncated, then all he has to do is have his people give him a call.
“I will f--- you up. If you wanna do that, let's do that.”