Following the conclusion of Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson, boxing may have a glimpse of a future pound-for-pound number one — at least according to Paulie Malignaggi.
The 45-year-old former two-weight world champion has carved out a respected role as a pundit and, like many, remains torn over the outcome of Lopez’s WBO super-lightweight title defence against Stevenson at Madison Square Garden on January 31.
The clash caps a busy month for the sport during what is typically a quiet period. For Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) and Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), however, this is about far more than a world title. It is a defining moment in a career phase that can shape legacies and propel a fighter towards greatness.
FightHype recently caught up with “Magic Man” Malignaggi to gauge his thoughts on the intriguing match-up.
“It’s a difficult fight. You wanna give Shakur the edge and I do but Teo is not someone to play with because when he’s got his back to the wall he becomes the most difficult guy to deal with and that’s when he’s got his best performances.
“When people feel like he’s gonna win easy he’s got his worst performances. It’s one of those times where Teo could make it really interesting.”
Both Lopez and Stevenson are already recognised as pound-for-pound talents — whether in the top 10 or top 20 remains open to debate — but Malignaggi believes one of them is destined for the very top of the sport.
“Shakur for me is a possible pound-for-pound number one at one time but if there’s a guy that could be a threat to him it’s Teo.”
January 31 may settle the debate, or at least push one man decisively closer to boxing’s highest summit.
