Tim Bradley has offered his take on the expected matchup between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson.
Their potential showdown was first mooted in August, with both fighters going back and forth on social media over the finer details of their deal.
But since then, it would appear that a turbulent period of negotiations has only delayed an official announcement, with various reports suggesting that they could square off in the first quarter of 2026.
If it does materialise, it’s expected to be at 140lbs, with Lopez, 22-1 (13 KOs), defending his WBO super-lightweight title against Stevenson, 24-0 (11 KOs), whose last outing saw the southpaw slickster comprehensively outpoint William Zepeda in July.
In doing so, the 28-year-old successfully retained his WBC lightweight title following a voluntary defence against Josh Padley, who replaced Floyd Schofield Jr on just a few days’ notice, in February.
Now, though, Stevenson appears likely to enter a more career-defining opportunity, hoping to claim another major title in his fourth weight class.
Standing in his way of that achievement, it seems, is Lopez, who defended his WBO strap with a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Barboza Jr in May.
Prior to that, ‘The Takeover’ amassed a string of far less inspiring performances, both of them paling in comparison to his two most notable victories over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor.
But despite his less impressive form in recent years, former two-division world champion Bradley can see his possible clash with Stevenson delivering an absorbing spectacle.
While offering some analysis in a video on his YouTube channel, the American boxing pundit equally remained firm in his belief that Stevenson will have his hand raised.
“Shakur is just constantly taking away your best shot, taking away your position. He’s making sure that he’s not giving up no defence for offence.
He’s that guy that takes the air out of the ball. He’s one of them guys that you hate. I wanna see Teo in there with a guy that can outthink him.
With Shakur, he ain’t got that athleticism; he ain’t got that explosiveness like Teofimo Lopez. But, with Shakur, he knows how to follow a plan. I’m going with Shakur Stevenson.”
With an official announcement expected imminently, it will soon become clear just whether or not Bradley’s prediction is proven correct.
