The trainer Jamie Moore has questioned whether Arnold Barboza Jnr has the style required to test Teofimo Lopez on Friday.

Lopez-Barboza Jnr, for Lopez’s WBO junior-welterweight title, perhaps represents the most competitive contest of Friday’s promotion in New York’s Times Square, and was secured by Barboza Jnr producing a career-best performance to defeat Jack Catterall in February in the UK.

Moore prepared Catterall for that contest and as a consequence studied his weaknesses and strengths. The Manchester-based trainer was also aware that Catterall was on course to challenge the 27-year-old Lopez in the event of victory, and had similarly been monitoring Lopez’s progress. He regardless recognises that the outcome of Friday’s fight could yet influence Catterall’s future, given the plans Catterall’s promoters Matchroom have to quickly take him back into contention to again fight for a title.

Lopez last fought in June 2024, when defeating Steve Claggett – the second successive challenger to his title to not be considered capable of posing a threat to his status as one of the world’s most talented fighters – and Moore told BoxingScene: “The question mark is gonna be on form. Barboza’s a solid fighter. Just, stylistically, I don’t think he’ll give Lopez that many problems.

“Lopez, when he’s in that sharp-shooting style, holding his feet and on the back foot, is difficult to deal with. He struggles with movers; people who give him lateral movement with their feet. I don’t feel like Barboza’s got that in his style. He’s good at what he does, but that type of awkward, lateral movement is what gives Lopez problems, and I don’t feel like he’s got that.

“It’s more of a temperament thing; depending on the mood [Lopez is] in, depends very much on how he performs. He’s always in a better mood, because he knows he’s up against it, against the better fighters, ‘cause his back’s against the wall. The occasion could be the thing – it’s a fight in Times Square; there’s a lot of media attention; he’s from New York, so he’s on centre stage. 

“I know he’s not top of the bill but he’s one of the chief supports up there, and I think he’ll relish that environment. It’s never been done before. ‘Cause it’s something different, you’re probably going to see the best out of Teofimo.”

The 33-year-old Barboza Jnr, from Los Angeles, is fighting Lopez in Lopez’s home city, where in victory over the then-champion Josh Taylor in 2023 he produced a performance to surpass even that against Vasiliy Lomachenko three years earlier.

“I watched the Sean McComb fight [against Barboza Jnr, in 2024] a few times, and I feel like Sean just nicked it,” Moore explained. “I don’t think it was a big robbery. I was actually quite impressed with, from the fourth and fifth round onwards – Barboza really went second, third phase. Attacked the body well; kept a high tempo. That’s difficult to do halfway through a fight, when you’re not expecting it. 

“If he’s going into a fight with a camp, preparing to chase Lopez down and cut the ring off and apply pressure and work his body, he’ll be much more effective. The dimensions are much different as well. We haven’t got that awkward southpaw style. It’s orthodox and orthodox. He’s not got a bad style to go against Lopez. I just feel Lopez is really good when he’s in that sharp-shooting mode on the back foot.

“It’s a good fight. Lopez’s activity could end up being a bit of an issue. But in terms of ability, I believe that Lopez will probably win.”