Former two-weight world champion Zab Judah expects one man to “overwhelm” the other when Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson meet on January 31.
Lopez will defend his WBO super-lightweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York, a venue where Brooklyn-born Judah fought on four occasions, winning twice and losing a brace.
Fellow Brooklynite Lopez enters his fourth title defence as a slight underdog against Stevenson, who is aiming to become a four-weight world champion. While many predict a finely balanced, tactical contest, Judah told MillCity Boxing he believes the fight could prove one-sided.
“Annihilation. Decapitation. I feel like Teo’s a very dominant force, but I think that the skills of Shakur Stevenson is going to overwhelm Teo. He’s never seen this type of action yet.”
With Terence Crawford’s retirement leaving a vacancy near the top of boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings, a dominant performance from Stevenson could elevate him higher than ever before — particularly if he handles Lopez in the manner Judah suggests.
Despite expectations that the January 31 showdown will be a chess match, Judah hopes both fighters commit fully and leave the ring knowing nothing was left behind.
“Teo’s not going to back down. Shakur’s not going to back down. We’re going to get an exciting 12-round fight, or however long it’s gonna last.
“I’m just begging both guys to come in there and leave everything they got in that ring.”
The Lopez–Stevenson undercard has also been announced and features two world title bouts. Carlos Adames defends his WBC middleweight title against Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, while another Brooklyn native, Bruce Carrington, faces Carlos Castro for the vacant WBC featherweight belt. Former lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis also returns at super-lightweight against Jamaine Ortiz.
