Boxing Preview: Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson

Madison Square Garden has seen its share of legendary nights in boxing history. That trend will continue on Saturday in New York, where “The World’s Most Famous Arena” hosts the WBO super lightweight title clash between reigning champion Teofimo Lopez and undefeated challenger Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) hopes to claim a belt in his fourth weight class and usurp the explosive and eccentric Brooklyn, New York-born champion, but it will not be easy. At 140 pounds, Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) will be the biggest, fastest and most skilled opponent the Newark, New Jersey-born former Olympic silver medalist has faced to date. However, Stevenson poses his own challenges as a brilliant defensive mastermind with a deceptive amount of pop in his punches.

Lopez and Stevenson have shared the ring before as sparring partners, and despite some promotional bad blood, there’s a healthy level of respect between the two slick counterpunchers. Former promotional stablemates at Top Rank, Lopez and Stevenson have spent the better parts of their careers in each other’s crosshairs. Victory would elevate the winner to superstardom and near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.

Here’s everything you need to know about the megafight:

TALE OF THE TAPE

Teofimo Lopez

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 28
Record: 22-1, 13 KOs
Height: 5-foot-8
Reach: 68.5 inches
Best Wins: “The Takeover” exploded onto the scene in 2019 when he defeated unbeaten Japanese contender Masayoshi Nakatani in an IBF lightweight eliminator. Five months later, Lopez claimed his first world title when he starched Richard Commey in two rounds. Lopez announced himself on the world stage the following year by dethroning WBA, WBO and The Ring lineal champion Vasily Lomachenko by unanimous decision. After losing the belts to George Kambosos Jr., Lopez headed north to 140 pounds, where he has enjoyed the spoils of a six-fight winning streak. Throughout that span, he has defeated Pedro Campa, Sandor Martin, Josh Kelly, Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Clagett and Arnold Barboza Jr.

Shakur Stevenson

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey
Age: 28
Record: 24-0, 11 KOs
Height: 5-foot-8
Reach: 68 inches
Best Wins: After claiming silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Stevenson debuted the following year at 126 pounds. Cruising to victories in his first 12 fights, Stevenson handed 23-0 Joet Gonzalez his first loss to win the vacant WBO featherweight title in 2019. Stevenson would vacate the belt months later to pursue gold at 130 pounds. This was the weight class where Stevenson finally cornered some big-name competition, taking the WBO, WBC and The Ring titles off Jamel Herring and Oscar Valdez. After losing his titles on the scale, Stevenson conquered a third weight class when he defeated Edwin De Los Santos. Despite his unblemished record, fans have criticized Stevenson for his defensive style and low offensive output, but doubters were silenced following Stevenson’s 12-round masterclass against the feared Mexican swarmer William Zepeda.

HOW TO WATCH

The Ring 6 kicks off live from Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Jan. 31. The card starts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and is available through DAZN Pay-Per-View. The full card:

• Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson – WBO super lightweight championship
• Keyshawn Davis vs. Jamaine Ortiz – super lightweight co-main event
• Bruce Carrington vs. Carlos Castro – WBC featherweight championship
• Carlos Adames vs. Austin Williams – WBC middleweight championship
• Jarrell Miller vs. Kingsley Ibeh – heavyweight bout
• Ziyad Al Maayouf vs. Kevin Costello – welterweight bout

BETTING ODDS

The undefeated Stevenson comes in as the favorite (-320) to dethrone Lopez (+230), according to FanDuel. Despite the slight reach disadvantage, Stevenson’s amateur pedigree, unblemished record and defensive skill set make him a slight favorite to win a 12-round decision (-190). Lopez is viewed as the more explosive puncher, with odds of +600 to finish the fight by knockout.

PATHS TO VICTORY

If there’s anybody who has the skill set necessary to hand Stevenson his first professional loss, it’s Lopez. Like Stevenson, Lopez fought in the Rio Olympics—he represented Honduras—and has a stellar boxing IQ. Blessed with phenomenal hand speed and reflexes, Lopez contains a ton of explosiveness paired with a sixth sense for timing. He’s a deceptive counterpuncher who can pick opponents apart with his jab before making them pay with counter check hooks and sneaky uppercuts. Lopez’s biggest wins have come against two elite southpaws in Lomachenko and Kelly, as he was able to enter a flow state and shut down their offense. Lopez’s quick feet in the open-stance matchup make him difficult to get an angle on. Stevenson has been plagued by hand problems throughout his career and has voiced concerns about the challenge at 140 pounds. It’s clear that he’s expecting a chess match, but Lopez can dictate the terms of this fight by leading the dance and forcing Stevenson to fight at his pace. Every round counts in a fight like this between two counterpunchers. A crisp jab or a misunderstood stumble could be the difference between winning and losing a round. Lopez needs to impose his will in the clinch, outwork Stevenson on the outside and play off the New York crowd. Stevenson stays true to his style and refuses to step out of his comfort zone. He relies on superior positioning and is an extremely disciplined fighter. A slow-paced fight plays to his advantage, but if Lopez touches him with his power, it could present a problem he has never faced.

For Stevenson, the blueprint to beating Lopez has been written. In his lone defeat to George Kambosos Jr., Lopez was dropped by a well-timed right hand. The shot didn’t hurt Lopez, but he can be careless with his balance when he’s moving forward. Lopez isn’t afraid to leap into punches and throw explosive pot shots. If Stevenson can catch him in between punches, he could secure a flash knockdown. Lopez’s footwork has been underwhelming in some of his past fights. Against Ortiz, he was unable to close off the ring and pin him down. Against Steve Claggett, Lopez had trouble finding space amidst the Canadian’s forward pressure. He took way too many easy hits and was quickly drawn into an unnecessary firefight. Despite his reputation for being a defensive counterpuncher, Stevenson is a crafty fighter on the inside who isn’t afraid to punish the body. Stevenson can turn on the pressure when he needs to, and if Lopez wants to bang, he will be more than happy to oblige.

This fight has the makings of a masterclass in technical boxing or a 12-round snoozer. Lopez and Stevenson are two of the best counterpunchers in the business, but when two counterpunchers face off, somebody still has to take the lead. The faints and positional battle may underwhelm the casual fan, but diehard purists will study this fight for years.