Boxing’s ability to deliver marquee match-ups has been evident again this week with the official announcement of Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson.
The super-lightweight clash will see Lopez defend his WBO title against Stevenson, who is aiming to become a four-weight world champion. Backed by Turki Alalshikh, The Ring VI event is scheduled for January 31 in New York, with the venue still to be confirmed.
As the shock of the announcement fades, opinions on the matchup have begun to roll in — including one from Hall of Famer James Toney, who spoke to Mill City Boxing about the contest.
“Another great fight. Teo’s too big for him. Both fighters have extraordinary skills. It’s gonna be a great fight as long as it lasts. I see Teo stopping him late if it happens. If not Shakur runs around the ring for 12 rounds and it’ll be a boring ass fight.”
Lopez, 22-1 (13 KOs), has already experienced a superfight, producing a career-defining performance to beat Vasiliy Lomachenko during the Covid-hit 2020 season.
Stevenson, 24-0 (11 KOs), is still seeking his first elite-level win, though his masterclass against the relentless William Zepeda last time out was arguably the most impressive performance of his career.
Toney’s own introduction to the sport’s highest tier came in November 1994 when he defended his IBF super-middleweight title against Roy Jones Jr in Las Vegas. With the mythical pound-for-pound top spot on the line, Jones delivered a performance that confirmed he was operating on a level above not only Toney but the entire boxing world.
