Lopez vs. Stevenson: Two of the most talented boxers of their generation will fight for the WBO semi-welterweight belt on January 31 in New York.
New York is getting a cracker right at the start of the year: On January 31, Shakur Stevenson will meet WBO champion Teofimo Lopez for the first time at light welterweight – a duel that was long overdue as an East Coast clash and is now taking shape at “The Ring 6”. DAZN will broadcast exclusively. For Stevenson, the fight is nothing less than an attempt to become world champion in a fourth weight class. The undefeated WBC lightweight champion (24-0, 11 knockouts) wants to prove that he can easily showcase his technical skills one level higher.
Lopez, on the other hand, New York’s own “Takeover” artist, enters his next big test as a titleholder (22-1, 13 knockouts) with five straight wins. Since his glittering victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 and his move to super lightweight, he has defeated notable opponents such as Josh Taylor, Jamaine Ortiz and most recently Arnold Barboza. Even before the fight, the two 28-year-olds engage in an intense battle of words: Stevenson announces that he will take Lopez’s belt “in his home country” and “show that there are levels”. Lopez counters in his typical “takeover” tone and promises that Stevenson will fail in the “Concrete Jungle”.
Text by Robin Josten