Josh Taylor expects Shakur Stevenson to “frustrate” Teofimo Lopez on Saturday – and potentially to the extent that Lopez risks getting knocked out.
Lopez and Stevenson contest the former’s WBO junior-welterweight title at New York’s Madison Square Garden, in an occasion that potentially represents both fighters’ toughest fight.
The retired Taylor was Lopez’s opponent on the night of the 28-year-old’s finest victory, in 2023 when he won from Taylor the same title, by when Lopez had already defeated the great Vasily Lomachenko. Stevenson, also 28 and widely already recognised as the world’s finest lightweight, is approaching his physical peak and remains undefeated largely because he is yet to even need to perform to his best.
Taylor had already established himself as one of Britain’s finest ever fighters by when he lost for the first time, to the impressive Lopez. For all that he admires his former opponent’s abilities, however, he is yet to be convinced that he has the style required to win on Saturday night.
It is little secret that the patient Stevenson is at his best on the back foot and that Lopez thrives most against aggressive opponents who attempt to place him under pressure. Lopez, equally, has only fulfilled his undoubted potential against Lomachenko and Taylor – he has underperformed when he has been too confident of victory, and he may yet rediscover that same level when it is Stevenson on the opposite side of the ring.
“It’s got the makings to be a good fight,” Taylor told BoxingScene. “If anyone’s gonna make it a more exciting fight it’ll be Teo, because he’s the one that can’t really hold back, in terms of coming forward. He’ll come forward and he’ll make the fight, which then plays into Shakur’s hands. But I just don’t think Teo is that cute with it.
“He is quite athletic. He is physically strong. He’s agile and flexible – he’s athletic in the way he moves. I wouldn’t say his boxing’s that great, and his power’s not that great, but he is quite athletic and quite quick, moving from A to B. He’s springy – he can spring it on you quite quick. His defence is quite good – when he’s on the back foot he can be good on the ropes and things like that.
“[But] he’s not that tight or cute of a boxer. Coming forward he’s quite open and leaves himself wide open – he telegraphs what he’s gonna do, so you can see what he’s gonna do when he comes.
“He doesn’t punch awfully hard but he’s quite physically strong. He’s obviously filled out since I fought him; he’s still relatively young, so he’s still filling into his man strength. I was a late developer – I didn’t really get my strength till I was 28; 29; 30. He looks like he’s moved up in weight and put on a bit of muscle already. He will be a little bit stronger.”
A plantar fascia injury in Taylor’s foot that forced him to withdraw from a rematch with Jack Catterall undermined the Scot’s preparations for Lopez, but where Taylor often sought to force the contest against him at Madison Square Garden’s Theater, he expects Stevenson to pursue a considerably different fight.
“For the first five or six rounds it was relatively comfortable for me against him,” he continued. “I could see him coming. I knew what he was going to do. I could see his punches coming a mile away.
“But my legs were fucked after five rounds of that fight, because I couldn’t do the running for that fight, because of the injury I had. I never really had the leg conditioning. By the time six rounds came my legs were gone. I trained well for the fight; I prepared for the best of my ability, and I done okay for the first five rounds, but my legs went. I could see things coming – he was telegraphing what he was gonna do – he wasn’t very cute with things. I can see Shakur comfortably boxing him and keeping it quite simple, because you can see him coming from a mile away – if you’ve got your legs under you you can get out the way quite easy.
“I think it’ll frustrate Teo – if Shakur stands back like he often does he might frustrate Teo and Teo might have to then put his foot on the gas to try and make the fight and try to make some action. I can see Shakur sitting on the back foot and waiting on him coming, and being quite a boring fighter as he’s known to be. That’s the way he’ll do it and that’s the way he’ll win, ‘cause Teo can’t really help himself to then come in and try and make the fight.
“He’s hot and cold. I don’t think he’s going to get much better. If anything he’ll be the one that pushes the pace and might make Shakur uncomfortable with the pace, but I can’t see it. I can see Shakur comfortably outboxing him.
“Shakur [will win on] points. Maybe even a late stoppage as Teo jumps in with one of those big left hooks. He might catch him as he comes in. I’d be surprised if that happens, but I’m gonna say Shakur, points.”
