After weeks of speculation, the smoke appears to have cleared: a showdown between WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is on track for early 2026.
Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), nicknamed “The Takeover”, dropped a strong hint that both camps have reached an agreement by posting a video to social media captioned, “EARLY 2026 #TeofimoShakur.”
“Shakur Stevenson, I’m coming for you brother,” Lopez declared in the clip. “What are you gonna do, when ‘The Takeover’ takes over you, brother?”
Minutes later, Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) responded with a statement of his own: “CHAPTER CLOSED. Teo, let’s make boxing great again.”