Styles make fights — and Shane Mosley believes the outcome of Teofimo Lopez’s clash with Shakur Stevenson will come down to which man can successfully impose his will.
The countdown continues to one of the biggest fights of the year, with Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) defending his WBO super-lightweight title against Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), at Madison Square Garden on January 31. On paper, it is a genuine 50-50 contest between an established champion and a challenger moving up into his fourth weight class.
Mosley, now 54, knows all about elite-level match-ups. A dazzling lightweight champion in the late 1990s, “Sugar” Shane catapulted himself into boxing’s stratosphere with a stunning victory over Oscar De La Hoya at the turn of the century to capture the WBC welterweight title.
Like many observers, Mosley is fascinated by how the contrasting styles of Lopez and Stevenson will mesh, given their high ring IQs and technical versatility. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, he outlined what he will be watching for on fight night.
“Which fighter can impose their will on the other. Which can impose their style on the other style. Shakur Stevenson has a very strong style where he can sit back and pot-shot you and box. Teofimo can also box and is very athletic and can get from side to side and can make things difficult for you as well. So which style is going to impose on the other is what we want to see.”
Mosley is particularly intrigued by how the contest develops in its early stages, suggesting the opening rounds could reveal subtle shifts in control before one fighter begins to edge ahead.
“I think you’re going to need a couple of rounds, but the first round is going to be very interesting. Maybe you see some tells but maybe two or three you’re going to start seeing one leave the other. Shakur might have to show something different if he has to go after Teofimo Lopez. He might have to show some different type of heart we haven’t seen and vice versa.”
There are plenty of unanswered questions heading into the bout — from whether Stevenson can carry his speed and sharpness up to 140lbs, to whether Lopez can consistently deliver on the biggest nights, as he did against Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor. Like many former and current fighters, Mosley finds the fight too close to call.
“I believe it’s a 50-50. It’s a fight I just have to sit down and watch and who imposes their will on the other.”
