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In front of a packed house, at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, the boxing world saw the emergence of the newest lineal Champion when Shakur Stevenson dominated former WBO World and The RING Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez. As many boxing pundits expected, Stevenson outclassed Lopez by winning all but one round on each of the judges’ final scorecards.
By Cameron Buford
In front of a packed house, at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, the boxing world saw the emergence of the newest lineal Champion when Shakur Stevenson dominated former WBO World and The RING Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez. As many boxing pundits expected, Stevenson outclassed Lopez by winning all but one round on each of the judges’ final scorecards.
“I told my team before the fight, I said they were going to say, ‘I’ve got one of the best jabs in the world,’ tonight. And tonight, I went out there, and I just used my jab over and over and made it a weapon,” Shakur Stevenson told the media after the fight. “He couldn’t stop it. And for the future young fighters coming up behind me, the jab is one of the most important punches, and I hope they add that to their games too.”
When asked about becoming the Lineal Ring Champion at 140 lbs. and his future, Shakur Stevenson was less than committal about his future.
“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board, and I’ve got to get in front of my management team and let them see who is going to bring the biggest money fight,” Stevenson said when asked about his future. “Even a legacy — somebody that’s going to bring a legacy‑defining fight — and I think that’s what matters next.”
Shakur’s control of the ring was so impressive that many before Lopez refused to step and fight him. After his domination of Lopez, we see why. Stevenson essentially shut out the talkative Lopez on all judges’ scorecards in this fight. After the fight, Stevenson did call out British boxer (24-1, 14 KOs) Conor Benn, who recently dominated (35-4, 25 KOs) Chris Eubank Jr in a highly anticipated rematch late last year.
For years, boxing fans have discounted Stevenson’s hit-and-not-be-hit style of fighting. Depending on the opponent, this controlled style could lead to a boring fight, with each fighter waiting on the other to throw a punch. In this fight, Stevenson showed his willingness to engage with his opponent, making him miss and landing the better shots. Unlike a fighter who was often chastised for a similar style, Stevenson made it clear he was not, and is not, trying to mimic another fighter.
“I’m the first Shakur Stevenson. But Floyd Mayweather is my guy. He called me right before the fight, Stevenson said in his post-fight press conference. “He always texts me. He told me he was proud of me before the fight happened. So, Floyd is my family. I’ve got a lot of love for Floyd. But I’m the first Shakur Stevenson!”
Even as the clock pushed past midnight, the energy at MSG on Saturday night never dipped. The entire building was on its feet, chanting as the fight closed with the same fire it opened with. By earning his fourth world title in four weight classes, Stevenson has emerged as this generation’s best defensive and accurate boxer. True boxing fans will be eager to see if he can keep this level of perfection up in his next fight, regardless of the opponent. I will be tuned in, will you?
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