It was the opportunity that Shakur Stevenson has waited his entire career for. In the end, it was a technical mismatch.
Stevenson made it look easy on Saturday night, dominating Teofimo Lopez Jnr over 12 rounds at New York City’s Madison Square Garden to win the WBO junior welterweight title, making the 28-year-old from Newark, New Jersey, a four-division champion. The scores were 119-109 on all three cards as Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), finally got his signature win after nine years as a professional.
For the Brooklyn native Lopez, 22-2 (13 KOs), the loss was his first since a 2021 upset decision loss to George Kambosos Jnr, snapping a six-fight winning streak. Instead of a classic matchup between boxer and puncher, the fight looked more like Pernell Whitaker vs. Azumah Nelson, as a technical master southpaw used a laser-accurate right jab to diffuse a more explosive but less coordinated fighter.
“I felt good, I picked him apart. I did what I was supposed to do,” said Stevenson, who previously won world titles at featherweight and junior lightweight, and still owns the WBC lightweight title.
“This is the art of boxing: Hit and don’t get hit, and pick guys apart. I can beat any of these guys; all I have to do is put my mind to it. I told y’all I’m the best fighter in the world, and I stand by that.”
Although some may disagree, it was hard to make a case against it based on what Stevenson did to Lopez, who occupied a spot on most observers’ pound-for-pound lists.
After an aggressive start from Lopez in the first round, Stevenson landed the first big punch of the fight near the end of the stanza with a straight left to the chin. Stevenson continued to find the target in the second round with his left as he became more aggressive behind his jab, which opened up opportunities for his left hand. Stevenson’s confidence continued to grow in the third as he used his jab to pick off Lopez, walking Lopez down and making him miss with lunging attempts.
Lopez was equally ineffectual in the fourth as his attempts to break through with double rights left him off balance and out of position when Stevenson countered back. Lopez’s frustration became more apparent in the fifth as he switched momentarily to southpaw before switching back after taking a clean jab.
Lopez made almost no adjustments throughout the fight as his father and trainer, Teofimo Lopez Snr, tried desperately to inspire his son with energy but offered nothing in the way of technical instructions. By contrast, Stevenson received detailed but concise instructions on adjustments to make after each round from his trainer and grandfather, Wali Moses.
Lopez’s struggles went from bad to worse in the sixth round as a cut opened up over his left eye, creating a bigger target for Stevenson’s right jab. Stevenson continued to take advantage of Lopez’s lack of coordination in the seventh, landing left-hand counters as Lopez appeared lost while trying to lay a glove on his opponent.
Lopez had his first taste of success in the eighth round when he outworked Stevenson and landed hard shots to the body. It would be the only round that Lopez won.
Stevenson turned the engines back on in the ninth round, landing a hard right hook on Lopez as he reached in with a punch. Lopez’s cut began to flow more in the 10th as Stevenson’s right jab popped off Lopez’s eyebrow with greater regularity. Stevenson increased his dominance in the 11th by letting go with more left-hand counters, which produced more swelling, this time over Lopez’s right eye. Stevenson continued to assert himself in the 12th, never giving Lopez a moment to sneak back into the fight.
Afterwards, Lopez acknowledged his lack of answers as he tried to solve the Stevenson puzzle.
“I could say a lot of things, but it’ll still be the wrong thing,” said Lopez, when asked what went wrong in the fight.
Lopez added that he would be switching his focus to the upcoming birth of his next child, and hinted at a move up to welterweight. “Maybe 147,” said Lopez, 28. “A lot of people won’t agree with that, but I’m a fighter until the day that I die.”
For Stevenson, he has a tough decision to make as he holds world titles in two divisions and now has to decide which to continue campaigning in. Although no decision has yet been announced, Stevenson did signal that he would be interested in one opponent in particular: England's Conor Benn, a welterweight who has fought his past two fights at middleweight in a grudge showdown with Chris Eubank Jnr.
Stevenson and Benn jawed at center-ring briefly in what looked like pre-planned, good-natured banter.
“Let’s make it happen,” said Stevenson, while Benn shot back, “Come up to welterweight and be a big dog.”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
