Teofimo Lopez Jr. continues tinkering with how his career will be handled. The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion has signed a managerial deal with Keith Connolly, it was announced on Monday.

Turki Alalshikh, owner of The Ring and the head of Riyadh Season, revealed on social media that he plans to explore a welterweight showdown between undefeated IBF world champion Jaron Ennis and two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez.

Teofimo Lopez wasted little time in answering Devin Haney’s question Friday afternoon on X. Haney, one of Lopez’s contemporaries, asked why “TeHOE” didn’t accept promoter Top Rank’s offer to fight Puerto Rican power puncher Subriel Matias on March 15 in Las Vegas. Lopez rejected an offer for the Matias match last week and revealed during The Ring’s inaugural awards gala a few days later that he didn’t think fighting a former champion who has lost twice, most recently seven months ago, and on pay-per-view, was the smartest move for his career.

Tunde Ajayi held pads for WBC junior welterweight world champion Devin Haney, as the 26-year-old entertained fans last weekend in an impromptu open workout session at the famed Peacock Gym, east London. Ahead of his proposed return later this year, Ajayi was excited about the future for a titleholder keen to make up for lost time.

Locking down an opponent has been practically impossible for Teofimo Lopez. Currently in possession of The Ring’s junior welterweight title, Lopez was initially on the verge of taking on Subriel Matias. But, after deeming him unworthy, Lopez left the negotiating table.

The new owner of The Ring and its properties vowed to deliver the “biggest schedule for the year in boxing history.” Tuesday’s bombshell announcement was a major step in the right direction.

There wasn’t any anger in Bob Arum’s voice as he discussed Teofimo Lopez’s decision to reject a proposed pay-per-view showdown with former IBF junior welterweight champion Subriel Matias. The 93-year-old promoter appeared perplexed more than anything while assessing Lopez’s predicament during an interview with The Ring .

Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s complicated relationship with Top Rank has reared its ugly head this week, as The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion blasted his career-long promoter in a series of posts on X for trying to stage a fight against Subriel Matias, going as far as asking for his release from the company.

Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney were in the same room under the bright lights on Saturday in London for The Ring Awards for the first time since their highly controversial clash in April.

Subriel Matias is ready to bump whenever Teofimo Lopez is ready to sign. Talks are ongoing for a terrific matchup that would see Lopez defend The Ring 140-pound championship and WBO title versus Puerto Rico’s Matias, The Ring’s No. 6 contender. The two sides first huddled up near the end of 2024 and remains targeted to take place midway through the first half of 2025.