Shakur Stevenson vs Teofimo Lopez

Shakur Stevenson will be the challenger for this upcoming fight. He is considered one of the best technicians in the boxing ring. He moves, he weaves, and he has all the skill sets that Teofimo Lopez has trouble with. Lopez tends to have problems with boxers who move effortlessly on their feet.

Lopez, however, is clearly the stronger fighter, which is why this is a tougher fight than many expect it to be. Stevenson is unbeaten and has practically taught some of the toughest fighters a lesson in the boxing ring, but if he can’t deal with Lopez’s physicality, it could pave the way for an upset and possibly lead to Stevenson’s first knockout loss. Lopez is the bigger guy on this one and is the current WBO Junior Light Welterweight champion. His only blemish was against George Kambosos Junior in what seemed like forever ago on November 27, 2021, via split decision. He is no pushover. To say that he is easy picking is an insult to him as a champion. A former unified lightweight champion by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko, his accolades, championships, and defenses leave no doubt about his ability to prove his critics wrong. 

His other notable fights include a win against Richard Commey in 2019 to become the IBF champion, a win against Josh Taylor in 2023 to win the WBO, and successful title defenses against Jamaine Ortiz in February 2024, Steve Claggett in June 2024, and recently against Arnold Barboza Jr. in May 2025.



Shakur Stevenson is a technician who would give any fighter fits, attempting to capture his 4th division world championship after a successful run at featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight. Despite Lopez being the bigger and stronger man, he is favored to win the fight on January 31, 2026. 

When people say Shakur Stevenson is a defensive specialist, that is pretty accurate. He exploits his opponents against them and comes up with moves that could only be described as genius. You don’t want to be too aggressive against him because moving forward and attacking him is not a good idea. You will miss, punishing you with counters that slowly graze your face. How did that happen? Nah, Shakur didn’t do anything. That’s how skilled Shakur is. He makes you overexert yourself by trying to figure him out; however, just as you think you’ve figured him out, he reverts to something else entirely, leading you to have to come up with something else. Fighting him, in other words, is frustrating. If Teofimo Lopez doesn’t knock him out early in the fight, he will find out just how frustrating fighting Shakur Stevenson is.

Shakur Stevenson by unanimous 12-round decision. 

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