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Andreas Hell
multiple authors
Shakur Stevenson humiliated and humiliated Teofimo Lopez with a perfect sporting version of boxing on Saturday night, defeating Teofimo Lopez with a unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in New York City to snatch the WBO junior welterweight title.
Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) promised to make the fight easy with Lopez and all three judges scored the fight 119-109. In the process, Stevenson became the fastest fighter to become a four-division champion.
“I brushed it off and did what I needed to do,” Stevenson said. “That’s the art of boxing – hit and don’t hit and tear people apart. I told you all I’m the best fighter on the planet and I stand by it.”
Stevenson, 28, long believed he was overlooked and disrespected despite his accolades as an Olympic silver medalist and three-division champion. He noted that his teammates such as Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and Lopez received praise, while he felt he was criticized for his safety-first style, which caused him to rarely lose rounds. He was forced into a co-main event against William Zepeda last July to prove that he could put on exciting fights.
Heading into Saturday night, Stevenson told ESPN that his performance will force the world to accept and respect him.
He did just that, putting on a master class against a fellow pound-for-pound fighter in a matchup between two young fighters in their respective primes.
Stevenson, who entered the fight as ESPN’s No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter, made the move to 140 pounds after holding world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight, which was considered a size advantage for Lopez, ESPN’s No. 10 ranked pound-for-pound fighter.
Lopez (22-2, 18 KOs) came into the fight as the lineal junior welterweight champion, with wins over former undisputed champion Josh Taylor and future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko. He promised to crack the code of Stevenson’s brilliant defense and harass his opponent in preparation for the fight.
None of this mattered, as Lopez struggled to mount any significant offense against Stevenson, who was standing right in front of him and dissecting him with relative ease.
Behind a thumping jab and quick-twitch reflexes, Stevenson subdued the aggressive Lopez from the opening bell. Instead of moving around the ring, Stevenson held court in the center of the ring, isolating Lopez and demoralizing him as the rounds progressed. López’s father and coach became confused and resorted to coaxing rather than providing any useful instruction to his son.
“I’m watching it on tape,” Stevenson said. “I looked at him and I knew my jab was going to kill him. I told everyone that before the fight. I said they would say after this fight I had the best jab in boxing because I saw where he was weak and I took advantage of it.
“I felt like I was a stronger fighter. I felt like I was faster. I was smart and I was faster.”
Lopez was desperate for answers but never stopped trying. He was outscored 78–23 after six rounds, but continued to throw punches and was knocked out several times by Stevenson’s counter punches whenever he ran and left a cut above his left eye.
By the end of the fight, Stevenson’s talent shone through statistically. He landed 165 of 372 punches (44%) compared to Lopez’s 72 of 468 (15%).
Lopez, humbled by the loss, said, “Every dog has his day.” “So, congratulations Shakur.”
Following the win, Stevenson challenged Connor Benn, who last fought Chris Eubank Jr. at 160 pounds in November. While moving up to 140 pounds was another jump in weight for Stevenson, it appears he is not one to take risks taking on the toughest challenges as he aims to be recognized as the best fighter in the world.
