TLDR
- Shakur Stevenson will face Teofimo Lopez for the WBO and lineal super lightweight titles on January 31 at Madison Square Garden
- Stevenson is undefeated at 24-0 and moving up from lightweight, while Lopez holds a 22-1 record
- Stevenson says he took the fight to prove doubters wrong and test himself against a top fighter at 140 pounds
- The undefeated champion claims he has identified multiple weaknesses in Lopez that won’t be fixed before fight night
- Lopez is preparing to defend his titles despite being framed as the underdog by many observers
Sources: Yardbarker | DAZN | RT Fight
Undefeated champion Shakur Stevenson will challenge Teofimo Lopez for the WBO and lineal super lightweight titles on January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight will headline the “Ring 6” card live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
Stevenson enters the bout with a perfect 24-0 record and 11 knockouts as the reigning WBC lightweight champion. Lopez brings a 22-1 record with 13 knockouts to defend his titles at 140 pounds.
Both fighters won their most recent bouts by unanimous decision. Stevenson defeated William Zepeda with scores of 118-110 twice and 119-109 on the Ring III card. Lopez beat Arnold Barboza Jr with scores of 116-112 twice and 118-110.
Stevenson Explains His Motivation
In an interview with DAZN, Stevenson said he pursued the Lopez fight specifically because of the doubters. “I made this fight happen because I know Teo is one of the guys at 140,” Stevenson explained.
“He got a big resume. Big accomplishments,” Stevenson continued. “I know there’s going to be some doubt with people and fans when I go fight this guy.”
The undefeated champion said his competitive nature drove him to accept the challenge. “Gonna be people that really believe that this guy’s gonna beat me, (and) I’m not on the level that I think I am, and I say I am,” he said.
Stevenson added that he made the fight for that exact reason. “My competitive edge kinda kicked in. I wanted to make this fight,” he told DAZN.
Champion Identifies Weaknesses in Opponent
Stevenson has been vocal about his confidence heading into the matchup. According to the WBC champion, he has spotted several problems in Lopez’s approach that give him an edge.
“I didn’t have to take this fight. I could have just stayed at the Lightweight limit,” Stevenson stated. “He is a very good fighter, but I see a lot of weaknesses in him.”
The undefeated fighter believes those flaws won’t disappear before fight night. “He won’t fix them overnight. It will be the same Teo we saw before,” Stevenson said.
Lopez is preparing to defend his championships despite many framing him as the underdog. The WBO champion has vowed to bring everything he has to dismantle one of the toughest opponents of his career.
The main card features several title fights beyond the headliner. Keyshawn Davis faces Jamaine Ortiz in a 12-round super lightweight bout, while Bruce Carrington battles Carlos Castro for the vacant WBC featherweight title.
Carlos Adames will defend his WBC middleweight championship against Austin Williams in another 12-round contest. Heavyweight Jarrell Miller faces Kingsley Ibeh in a 10-round fight on the undercard.
Stevenson’s move up in weight class puts him in position to become a three-division champion with a victory. Lopez’s lineal and WBO titles will be on the line when the two undefeated champions meet at Madison Square Garden.
