Shakur Stevenson with a clear message ahead of Lopez duel: “I’m a class above Teofimo”. The US-American wants to prove this in New York on January 31.
Shakur Stevenson leaves no doubt about his assessment of Teofimo Lopez ahead of the mega-duel on January 31 in New York. At the press conference for “The Ring 6”, the WBC lightweight champion confidently declared that Lopez is “a top fighter – but not at my level”. Stevenson is particularly critical of the Brooklyn star’s victories over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor.
“I’ve seen Teo at his maximum,” said Stevenson. “Against Taylor, against Lomachenko – he doesn’t get any better than that. And I’m better than both of them.” Lomachenko’s cautious first half of the fight in the 2020 duel in particular was a warning signal for Stevenson: “If you don’t throw any hands for six rounds – you won’t get away with it with me. I would have clearly beaten Loma in this form.”
Lopez, meanwhile, will be looking to defend his WBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight titles against Stevenson, who is moving up to his fourth weight class. For Lopez (22-1, 13 knockouts), it is the biggest fight since his victories over Lomachenko and Taylor – and also the chance to cement his status as “East Coast King”.
Stevenson (24-0, 11 knockouts) goes into the pay-per-view clash as the clear favorite, according to betting provider FanDuel. The 28-year-old sees this as confirmation, not pressure: “I’m an elite fighter. On January 31, everyone will see why.”
Text by Robin Josten