We’re approaching the nine-year anniversary of Floyd Mayweather’s retirement from professional boxing and still we await the ‘next Floyd Mayweather’.
Though we’ve had seemingly untouchable talent catch the eye since, like Vasiliy Lomachenko, Bam Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue, and money-making machines, like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, there hasn’t been anyone close to Mayweather for combining the two qualities – and the sport is crying out for one such individual, particularly one who hails from America.
Four names were considered candidates to one day become that complete package when their careers started to flourish. Each with supreme skillsets, braggadocious tongues, and influenced by Mayweather to different degrees.
There was Devin Haney who was arguably the most highly regarded, and though his career continues to progress, he’s still some way from taking Mayweather’s crown. The long-troubled Gervonta Davis, the most fan-friendly of the bunch, was last week arrested after the latest of his crimes caught up with him. It now seems the longest of shots that “Tank” will ever fulfil his significant potential.
The other two, Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson, are pitched together tonight in a mouth-watering collision that should see the winner’s standing soar. No, he won’t become the face of the sport overnight – Mayweather didn’t achieve such status until much later in his career – but he’ll have proven potential to do so.
With more consistency the 28-year-old Lopez might already have lived up to his “The Takeover” moniker. After all, the WBO junior welterweight titlist can count Lomachenko and Josh Taylor among those he defeated during his 22-1 (13 KOs) career. In both bouts, Lopez was exceptional. Yet one look at those stats and it’s the loss that jars; in 2021, immediately after deservedly outpointing Lomachenko, Lopez was dropped and outhustled by George Kambosos which – if we’re comparing to Mayweather – would have been akin to Floyd coming unstuck against Carlos Hernandez after trouncing Diego Corrales in 2001.
Perhaps that’s too harsh on Lopez. Not everyone – barely anyone, in fact – can get through an entire career without having an off-night and it’s true that, physically, Lopez was far from fit and well when facing the Aussie. Yet it’s difficult to write that off as an anomaly when we dig deeper into Lopez’s ledger. Plenty felt he was lucky to get the nod over Sandor Martin in 2022 and in his three bouts since outscoring Taylor the following year, wins on the cards over Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Claggett and Arnold Barboza, Lopez has looked far from superstar material.
Stevenson, meanwhile, has been altogether more consistent. Cute defensively and so intelligent when on the attack, the 24-0 (11 KOs) Stevenson is perhaps the most like Mayweather – late-career, safety-first Mayweather, at least – when it comes to style. On those educated feet he can bewitch and dominate when keeping things at his own pace, albeit at the expense of thrills and spills, and when circumstances demand more gruelling fare, as they did against William Zepeda last July, he’s proved he can stand and fight.
Though that victory over Zepeda was impressive there were clues that Lopez, whose front foot play is underrated, might be able to make life exceptionally uncomfortable for the 28-year-old if he’s keen to force the action. He surely will be keen to do that, too. Furthermore, though Stevenson has taken the unbeaten records of Zepeda and Oscar Valdez during reigns at junior light and lightweight, he’s yet to beat an established division leader like Lomachenko or Taylor. In that regard, if both were to apply for entry into the Hall of Fame tomorrow, only Lopez’s application would be considered.
So, while we’re right to highlight Lopez’s tendency to coast, and his struggles against lesser foes, it’s also only fair to remember that on the two occasions the bookmakers expected him to lose, he ended those bouts as the rightful winner. One can expect Lopez, then, to be approaching this showdown with a similar determination and focus. Whether it’s a malfunction in his makeup that he can’t always get ‘up’ for certain opposition is likely irrelevant here - he will come into this as determined to win as he’s ever been. Indeed, never one to shy away from the cameras during training camp, he’s this time kept himself to himself and focused on being the best version of Teofimo Lopez he can possibly be.
Which begs the question: Can the best of Stevenson beat the best of Lopez? Particularly when one considers that Stevenson – who has already stated he might drop straight back down to lightweight afterwards – will be making his debut at 140lbs where Lopez, the heftier puncher, has long been comfortable.
Another factor to consider before playing it safe with the most obvious bet – Stevenson wins on points – is the stance of the favorite. Like Lomachenko and Taylor, both of whom Lopez got to grips with quickly, he’s a southpaw. Whether Lopez chooses to box clever, which might be his best chance against a natural counter-puncher like Stevenson, or go for the jugular to make his physical advantages count, Lopez winning is far from unthinkable. Squint your eyes and it’s easy to picture the underdog utilising that size and explosivity against a boxer rising in weight out of choice rather than necessity.
However, it’s likely that Stevenson is much closer to his best than either Lomachenko or Taylor were. With both of those there was already a sense that we’d seen their peaks but with Stevenson, most suspect, the best is yet to come. It’s true, too, that Stevenson will recognize in Lopez – the bigger and stronger man – a greater threat than either the Ukrainian or the Scot were prepared for. Because for Stevenson, who has long been threatening to show the world how good he really is, this fight represents his defining moment and, regardless of stance or style, he’s never once failed to look like the convincing winner. No need to squint to imagine that outcome, either.
Though Lopez shouldn’t be written off, especially if he gains Stevenson’s respect early after Stevenson fails to gain his, the feeling here is that Shakur will prove too versatile, composed, and skilled for his opponent and win on points after 12 compelling rounds. And just like that, after almost a decade waiting for a new and true American superstar, one man might be leading the race to become just that.
