{"id":411455,"date":"2026-01-14T03:43:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T03:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/411455\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T03:43:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T03:43:07","slug":"no-one-is-like-shakur-stevenson-that-makes-the-fight-exciting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/411455\/","title":{"rendered":"No one is like Shakur Stevenson, that makes the fight exciting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teofimo Lopez Jr<\/a>. realizes that Shakur Stevenson<\/a> is a one-of-one.
Just how stiff the test will be remains to be seen as they move closer to their January 31 tilt to headline The Ring 6 card<\/a> at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion, will try to stave off Stevenson<\/a> (24-0, 11 KOs), the WBC lightweight champion and the No. 8-ranked pound-for-pound fighter who\u2019s on a quest to become a four-division champion. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey had to bring a lightweight to try and dethrone Teofimo because they had no other options. What I am is far better and greater than what they know,\u201d Lopez told reporters. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis means everything to me. Shakur is another fighter and another column to add to my pedigree. I’m thankful, and I want more. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut no one is like Shakur Stevenson, and that’s what makes the fight even more exciting.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lopez said he\u2019s been recruiting sparring partners who both move around and stay in the pocket. During camp, Lopez said he\u2019s focusing on working on his range, distance, and establishing a comfort zone to be even more capable for the clash. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy best attribute in my skillset is my footwork,\u201d said Lopez. \u201cI’m looking forward to seeing how much I am going to develop going against a fighter like him, and what I learned from my previous professional fights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lopez has been victorious in convincing fashion the previous two times he\u2019s been projected to lose, when he beat Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 and Josh Taylor in 2023. <\/p>\n

Oddsmakers favor Stevenson by a long stretch this time around, too. Stevenson is a -295 betting favorite compared to the +225 underdog Lopez, according to DraftKings. <\/p>\n

Lopez is confident, however, the fight will go his way and that a sequel won\u2019t be required. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no rematch clause,\u201d said Lopez. \u201cThere is no need for it. We risk it all, all the time. We’ve been ready to fight for a long time, and we’re here now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The matchup could also mark Lopez\u2019s last dance at 140 pounds, a division he\u2019s competed in since 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the roads lead to a bigger fight between [WBO welterweight champion] Devin Haney and me,\u201d said Lopez. \u201cLet’s see who we get after this. We have to keep it going. We are not even in our prime yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring\u2019s lead writer. Follow him on X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>: @ManoukAkopyan.