The prevailing view within boxing is that Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson is a genuine 50-50 fight. But could a performance from the past be the key to separating the two when they meet on January 31?
Madison Square Garden in New York plays host to the end-of-month super-lightweight showdown, with Lopez’s WBO title on the line. Stevenson will make his debut at 140lbs as he bids to become a four-weight world champion, five years on from winning his maiden title at featherweight.
Another of the division’s titleholders is Gary Antuanne Russell. The 29-year-old southpaw bounced back from his loss to Alberto Puello by comprehensively beating Jose Valenzuela to lift the WBA strap.
Russell has been out of the ring for 10 months and may have one eye on a future unification bout against the winner. But when asked by Fight Hub TV for his Lopez-Stevenson prediction, he pointed to one of Lopez’s standout victories as the blueprint for success.
“It’s 50/50. In order for you to participate in this sport, you got to have a high level of confidence. I feel like both of them have a high level of confidence.
“Naturally, I think Teofimo is stronger than Shakur. Naturally, I think he has more athleticism than Shakur and he’s got a good IQ for the sport itself.
“Shakur, I feel like he’s the smarter fighter. He’s a more technical fighter. It’s a 50/50 fight and it depends on what fighter shows up on the night. But if I had to give my honest truth, if Teo Lopez shows up and is ready to fight just like how he fought Lomachenko, he’s gonna win.”
Lopez’s victory over the great Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020 remains the defining moment of his career. Inconsistency has followed since, but his return to form against Josh Taylor in 2023 was a reminder of why many still regard him as one of boxing’s elite talents.
