On January 31, at Madison Square Garden, Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson will headline the “Ring 6” fight card live on DAZN Pay-Per-View. This intriguing super lightweight title fight will be for Lopez’s lineal and WBO titles.
Stevenson is moving up in weight from lightweight, where he is the WBC champion, aiming to become a four-division world champion. Legendary Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who previously promoted Stevenson, is still Lopez’s promoter of record, and has spoken to The Ring Magazine, breaking down Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson.
Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: Bob Arum breaks it down
Top Rank founder Bob Arum will not be ringside for Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) vs Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) due to his recent knee surgery. However, the legendary 94-year-old promoter is still looking forward to the main event: “That’s a terrific fight,” Arum told The Ring.
“That can go either way. I think until somebody shows they’re gonna outsmart Shakur in the ring, it’s hard to pick against him. Teofimo has to be able to outsmart him and outbox him and not just rely on his physical strength. On his best night, he can do that. That’s the phrase you have to remember – it’s not always his best night.”
“I think you’re gonna see the best Teofimo available, well trained, at the top of his game,” Arum said. “Whether that’s enough to beat Shakur, we’ll have to see.”
It’s a fascinating clash, with Lopez often raising his game for the biggest fights. However, Shakur is a defensive master, but can he fight for 12-rounds off the back foot? Or does he have enough power to stop Teofimo from being the aggressor?
