BIG BEAR LAKE, California – The last time Arnold Barboza Jnr saw Teofimo Lopez Jnr, the WBO 140lbs titleholder was running from his former promotional teammate in the basement of a Los Angeles theater after slapping Barboza to close a news conference.

“A sign of weakness,” Barboza, 32-0 (11 KOs), told BoxingScene this week as he nears the conclusion of his demanding, high-altitude training camp in preparation for his May 2 title bout against Lopez, 21-1 (13 KOs), at New York’s Times Square.

In this updated occasion, Barboza was asked what he thought of Lopez recently saying he’s not too concerned with Barboza because the Southern Californian has only scraped by with two split decisions and one narrow unanimous decision in his past three fights.

Indeed, Barboza has edged Sean McComb (92-98, 96-94, 97-93), former unified 140lbs champion Jose Ramirez (97-93, 96-94, 96-94) last November 15 and former top-ranked contender Jack Catterall (115-113, 113-115, 115-113) on February 15.

“I haven’t even heard these comments until now, but my response is, ‘Look at my last three fights versus his last three, and who’s fought the better opposition?’” Barboza asked, pointing to Lopez victories over former undisputed 140lbs champion Josh Taylor (115-113, 115-113, 117-111), elusive Jamaine Ortiz (same scores) and journeyman Steve Claggett (120-108, 120-108, 119-109).

“The fights I’ve taken are supposed to be close, as I’m fighting three of the top five guys in my division within just over a five-month period,” Barboza said. “That’s an old-school mentality. You can argue Ramirez is in the top five. Catterall was top two or three. And Teofimo is No. 1. I went over there [to fight England’s Catterall in Manchester], in hostile territory, something Teo hasn’t done.

“He hasn’t gone into someone’s backyard with 15,000 people booing him. I had to travel 18 hours to Saudi [to fight Ramirez]. [Lopez] hasn’t been through this. I have. I literally have earned this the hard way. He hasn’t done that. So he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

If anyone feels they know the truth of the situation, it’s Barboza, 33, who previously fought under the same Top Rank promotional banner as Lopez.

After signing a three-year extension in which it was strongly hinted that a title bout with Lopez would be forthcoming, Barboza said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum came clean with him.

“I spoke to Bob, and one of the things that stuck with me, when we were trying to get the Teo fight, was when [Arum said], ‘Look, we want our fighters to fight, but the fighter has to want to fight,’” Barboza said. “We want Teo to fight you, but he doesn’t want to, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

“I’m not saying he’s scared of me, but he didn’t want to fight me, and now I feel like the only reason he is is because I literally put his back to the wall, and he has to.”

Not only did Barboza elevate to WBO interim 140lbs champion by defeating Catterall, he won the support of the WBO to mandate the fight with Lopez, with Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh also pressing Lopez to take the bout.

“So now it’s going to happen,” Barboza said. “Yeah, he beat [three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko] and Taylor, but they both had little injuries. He got them at the right time.”

Lopez gets a Barboza who has waited more than two years for a crack at him after grinding through “a rollercoaster of taking high-risk, no-reward fights.

“I fought Alex Saucedo when he was dangerous. I fought Danelito Zorrilla when no one knew him, and look what he did to [former 140lbs belt holder] Regis [Prograis in a 2023 split decision]. It was frustrating.”

Will the extended wait affect Barboza’s fight plan and lead him to alter a boxing-first mindset that paced him to the victories over Ramirez and Catterall? Barboza admits he’s not sure how the judges will treat him against the better-known titleholder.

“I don’t think anything can take me out of my game plan – 15,000 fans booing me didn’t – so how can this?” he said. “They’ve got to see if Barboza the brawler or Barboza the boxer is coming. I’m done with the clown show, talking stuff to promote the fight. I’m just excited to get in there and get my hands on him. Things got personal when he put his hands on me.”

One individual who helped script the careers of both men said Barboza is poised to win.

“He’s a steady performer, lives clean, solid home, and he’s been active – the opposite of Teofimo, whose personal life is in disarray and hasn’t looked good [in] a pair of so-so fights,” said the individual who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are unauthorized to provide a frank fight breakdown.

“Teo once could have been a world-class fighter. No longer. Too much baggage. Arnold’s an honest, steady workman. Teo probably outpoints him, but Arnold can win. Or, to put it better, Teo can lose.”

Barboza is thrilled at the prospect of being the first fight in the unique Times Square outdoor ring.

“Our fight has the highest stakes, fighting for a belt and for bad blood,” Barboza said. “I’m expecting the best Teofimo there’s ever been because I know he knows he’s in for a fight. I don’t want any excuses. We’re ready. To me, this is the fight, like [Juan Manuel] Marquez in that fourth fight against [Manny] Pacquiao – I can’t see past him at all.”

Barboza spoke to BoxingScene following a workout supervised by his trainer-father Arnold Barboza Snr, a man the son maintains is the polar opposite of Lopez’s brash, caustic father-trainer, Teofimo Snr.

“It’s his dad – he ignited everything,” Barboza said. “As a family and team, it’s disgusting to watch. The reason he acts the way he does is his dad. His dad raised him like this.

“They say the son is a product of his dad. Now the son’s going to have to pay for the sins of his father.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.