Moments later, Lopez Sr. became involved in another confrontation, this time with Terence Crawford.
Crawford took issue with Lopez Sr. dancing directly in front of him while displaying his son’s belts. Crawford stepped forward, visibly agitated, and got face to face with him. The exchange cooled briefly, then Lopez Sr. resumed his antics once Crawford returned to his seat.
When the crowd became part of the story
The situation escalated further inside the arena. Bill Haney, father of Devin Haney, and members of his team became involved in a physical confrontation with Delante “Tiger” Johnson and his team. The altercation unfolded while Devin Haney was giving an interview with Ring Magazine only a few steps away.
Security intervened, yet the trouble followed into the hallway, where another clash broke out between the same groups. What started as verbal noise became a full disruption, pulling attention away from the fighters scheduled to compete.
Eventually, order returned. Lopez and Stevenson made weight without issue and moved on. The fight itself remains intact, yet the week has underlined how strained relations are between the camps and their circles. The edge has been present all week.
MSG draws a hard line
After the incidents, a representative for the MSG family of companies issued a statement addressing the disorder and potential consequences.
“Violence will not be condoned at MSG across any type of event including, hockey, basketball, boxing, concerts, or special events,” the statement read. “If any individual is found to participate in violent activity, whether you are part of the event, or a patron, you will be banned for life and unable to attend or participate in any event across all our venues.”
The message was clear. Backstage chaos may draw cameras, yet Madison Square Garden will not tolerate it. The fighters made weight. The fight goes on. Everything else is already under warning.
