Shakur Stevenson went at it with Teofimo Lopez on X, letting him know that his \u201ctime is up\u201d as the WBO light welterweight champion. He plans on dethroning Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) in their possible fight during Riyadh Season in January 2026.<\/p>\n
Teo Unleashes the Dogs<\/p>\n
Teofimo unleashed the dogs early today, labeling Shakur \u201cMr. Sandman,\u201d saying he\u2019s going to put him \u201cto sleep.\u201d As far as the moniker, no lies were told.<\/p>\n
Stevenson retaliated by pointing out that Lopez hasn\u2019t knocked out anyone since he moved up to 140 in 2022. He\u2019s actually wrong. Teofimo knocked out his first opponent at light welterweight, Pedro Campa, in the seventh round on August 13, 2022. He just hasn\u2019t stopped anyone in his last five fights.<\/p>\n
Shakur\u2019s Foxhole Escape<\/p>\n
Choosing to move up to 140 to challenge Teofimo for his WBO title is just a foxhole for Shakur to hide in. He\u2019s got a hungry wolf at the door with 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, ranked as his #1 contender for his WBC lightweight belt. Moving up to fight Teo allows Stevenson to swerve Cruz. He\u2019s going to have to face the talented Cuban when he comes back, unless he chooses to vacate.<\/p>\n
The three-division world champion Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) is going to have to raise his game to defeat Teo, as he\u2019s shown signs of slippage in his last four fights since 2023. People have been talking about the drop-off in performance from Stevenson over the past two years.<\/p>\n
Is Stevenson on the Decline?<\/p>\n
Some believe that he\u2019s past his prime at 28, as he shows signs of deteriorating reflexes. Fighters who depend on their speed tend to go downhill rapidly beginning in their late 20s. Shakur did not look good in any of these fights at 135:<\/p>\n
William Zepeda
\nJosh Padley
\nArtem Harutyunyan
\nEdwin De Los Santos<\/p>\n
U stopped 0 people at 140 now you\u2019re gone put me to sleep? \ud83d\ude02 Teafima your time is up I hope you enjoyed ya run.. #4DivisionChampOTW<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/D3GM0hcFRR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) October 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n DESTINY CALLING I CAN FEEL IT.. #4DivisionChamp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) October 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n @ShakurStevenson<\/a>, WELP! https:\/\/t.co\/1eQJd7Gsvu<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/An14MhDbjj<\/a><\/p>\n