Ryan Garcia believes Shakur Stevenson’s ‘toughest matchup’ could arrive after his clash with WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez on January 31.
The pair are gearing up to collide at Madison Square Garden in New York, with WBC lightweight titlist Stevenson bidding to become a four-division world champion.
His last fight, a unanimous decision victory over William Zepeda in July, saw the 28-year-old deliver a comprehensive performance to retain his green and gold belt at 135lbs.
Now, though, Stevenson is approaching what many believe to be his most dangerous assignment thus far, against an unpredictable champion who appears to boast several physical advantages.
Sure enough, Lopez was always considered an imposing operator at 135lbs, with his most notable victory coming against Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020.
Stevenson, on the other hand, has said on multiple occasions that 140lbs could be his limit, or at least the highest weight class where he would not be compelled to contend with a tremendous size disadvantage.
That is perhaps why Garcia views WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, his former opponent, as the toughest potential dance partner for Stevenson.
Haney claimed his WBO title – becoming a three-division world champion – with a dominant points victory over Brian Norman Jr in November.
Based on this version of the 27-year-old, Garcia told Stevenson during a Ring Magazine discussion that Haney, from a stylistic and physical standpoint, would cause him more problems than Lopez.
“I don’t know if Shakur would lose to him, but I’d say the toughest matchup would be [against] Devin Haney.
“He’s long, he doesn’t like to engage, [and] he’s big. I think you’d figure him out but I think that, stylistically, that’s the toughest matchup for Shakur.”
Whether Stevenson chooses to move up to 147lbs after his fight with Lopez, it remains to be seen, but a welterweight clash with Haney would certainly be a bold move, given the natural size disparity between them.
