Lopez vs Stevenson Predictions: ‘The Takeover’, the break’s over

WBO, The Ring and lineal super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez defends his title against unbeaten pound-for-pounder Shakur Stevenson this Saturday, January 31. This historic bout takes place at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. DAZN will screen the event live.

Read on for my Lopez vs Stevenson predictions ahead of a true superfight.

Lopez vs Stevenson Odds

Lopez might be the true champ at 140lbs, but he still comes in as a 13/5 underdog here. Divisional debutant Stevenson, with that fearsome reputation at the lower weights, is a 1/3 favourite while the draw is 16/1.

Lopez vs Stevenson Fight Preview

The calendar year gets its first true-blue superfight here as the lineal ruler of the super lightweight division gets a visit from the WBC lightweight king. It is a true meeting of the fistic minds, as two of the finest proprietors of the pugilistic arts meet at the unimpeachable MSG.

Lopez’s career is a study in redemption. ‘The Takeover’ burst onto the scene at 135lbs, scoring an enduring upset over Ukrainian ring legend Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020. The international annus horribilis carried triumph for the then-23-year-old.

Lomachenko was the WBO, WBA and The Ring champion at lightweight. The consensus pound-for-pound number one in the sport. But ‘The Matrix’ swallowed the wrong pill in engaging ‘El Brooklyn’. The precocious Lopez, the IBF champion going in, used his jab and judgment to out-score the supposedly unbeatable kingpin. The final round saw Lopez land 50 of his 98 punches, the most Lomachenko had ever eaten in a single round.

Lopez was boxing’s starlet du jour in the aftermath, such was the primacy of his unanimous points win. It would be over a year before we’d see him in the ring again. Forgivable, given the world turbulence in the wake of the pandemic. But Lopez’s performance was less forgivable, as he lost his belts and his pedestal to Australian workhorse George Kambosos Jr.  

Finger-pointing prevailed in the press, with the outgoing champion deemed to have had insufficient support from his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., in the corner. But whatever the cause, ‘The Takeover’ had been ended over the course of a split decision loss that flattered Lopez, who hit the deck in the first round before returning the favour to no avail in the 10th.

Lopez was condemned to boxing’s list of attitude casualties; a supreme talent blighted by a poor mindset. But the Brooklynite has exposed that theory as nonsense. Moving up to super lightweight post-Kambosos, he has gone 6-0 at the new weight. That tenure has included beating Josh Taylor for the WBO, The Ring and lineal crowns. Lopez has defended the title thrice since unseating the Scotsman, beating Steve Claggett, Jamaine Ortiz and Arnold Barboza Jr.

Stevenson is another fighter with an attitudinal streak. But apart from getting him into the odd scrape on social media, Shakur’s histrionics have never hampered him in-ring. He is a three-weight world champion, owning gold in the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight divisions. Opponents as accomplished as ex-champ Jamel Herring, unbeaten Oscar Valdez, the awkward Edwin De Los Santos and British have-a-go hero Josh Padley have fallen to his educated gloves.

What Stevenson needs now is an elite foe in a huge fight. Cometh the hour, cometh ‘The Takeover’. One feels Lopez is the sort of foe that can bring another level out of Stevenson. The 28-year-old has something of the Floyd Mayweather about him, in a positive and negative light. There is the defensive acumen and immense in-ring judgment. Then there is the tendency to sometimes fight down to the level of the opponent, doing just enough to skate by unscathed rather than electing to dazzle. Still, it never did ‘Money’ any harm, did it?

Lopez will not countenance any lowering of the levels. Stevenson will need his greatest night to leave the ring with world gold at a fourth weight class. But ‘El Brooklyn’ will not go quietly. His slow climb back after Kambosos is a bitter memory and will steer him clear of any complacency in the Big Apple.

Lopez vs Stevenson Full Card

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Lopez vs Stevenson Prediction

I bristle at the notion of a ‘next Mayweather’, but Stevenson has always found the crown lighter than the troubled likes of Gervonta Davis or Adrien Broner. It hangs better on his head, just jaunty enough to permit the odd bit of spikiness to escape, but in full bow to the defensive mastery of his forebear.

Lopez has dismantled a professor of the ring before, of course. But Stevenson is not Lomachenko, for better or worse. I think a similar jab-first, ask questions later strategy would play into Stevenson’s hands. Unlike the illustrious Ukrainian, Shakur does not look to dodge bullets like a gloved Keanu Reeves at close range. Stevenson is quite happy keeping his distance, ignoring the jeers of the paying-and-baying public, and executing a safety-first gameplan.

It is such a game plan that I think will see Stevenson home-and-hosed on points at Stevenson on 4/9.

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