Two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter has altered his prediction ahead of Teofimo Lopez’s showdown with Shakur Stevenson at the end of the month.
Stevenson has been somewhat untroubled throughout his professional career, with a dull, low-output decision win against Edwin De Los Santos being his only truly non-dominant display across 24 fights and three weight divisions.
Now, the Newark southpaw seeks to conquer a fourth weight class, as he takes on WBO super-lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez in a clash between the kingpins of 135lbs and 140lbs that has got the boxing universe talking.
Last month, in anticipation of the battle, Porter gave Stevenson a ‘60/40’ edge, admitting that we have seen no flaws in his ‘game’ whereas Lopez has shown frailties.
However, on The PorterWay Podcast, ‘Showtime’ revealed he has now began to lean towards Lopez, believing that ‘The Takeover’s activity in the fight could be enough to claim a decision victory.
“I think there are more avenues to victory for Teofimo Lopez than there is for Shakur because Shakur is so set in who he is, and I absolutely love it, straight up and down, but it is going to be so hard to pull him out of who he is.
“On the other side of that, Teo can go the defensive route, he can go to [a style] where he wants you to at least walk towards him. Shakur will plod forward, very defensively, and Teo also has the ability to be pouncy, in a situation where he can come out with big right hands, looping left hooks and leaping in with punches.
“I like to think that it is 50/50.”
“We could be in a situation where both of these guys kind of coast through the rounds, but Teo finds the moments, to steal moments in every round and steal rounds, and actually win on the scorecards, simply because he did just a little bit more.”
Lopez-Stevenson goes ahead on Saturday, January 31, and is supported by two additional world title contests on the undercard.
