Brooklyn’s Teofimo Lopez and Newark’s Shakur Stevenson have been circling each other since their amateur days. On Wednesday, the two finally made it official on stage at Madison Square Garden. Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) will defend his Ring and WBO Junior Welterweight titles against Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) in a showdown between two of America’s best boxing talents.
Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist and WBC Lightweight champion, will look for a title in his fourth different weight class with a win. Lopez, also a 2016 Olympian fighting for his father’s native Honduras, has held the junior welterweight title since defeating former undisputed champion Josh Taylor two years ago.
Tickets are now on sale at ticketmaster.com.
Full Press Conference Replay
Teofimo and Shakur Taking It Seriously
No surprise, both men come into this matchup full of confidence in their skills, while still maintaining a healthy respect for each other as former stablemates and professionals. But any friendship will be put aside as they prepared for one of the first big matchups in 2026.
Once the pair got beyond some juvenile jokes and trash talk and got serious about their business, you could see how seriously they take each other.
Lopez said this is exactly the right fight for his title defense.
“He’s saying this, he’s saying that, and the third, but in reality, man, this guy is the best, and we’re here to face the best. That’s just what it is. Forget the rest. That’s all it is. That’s what it takes. We define the odds. We’re against all odds.”
Stevenson said he wants to show the world he’s the best with a win. “After this fight, I want to be considered a top five, pound-for-pound fighter in a sport, and I can’t wait to show it.
“I just don’t think he realizes how good I am. I think come fight night, he’s going to realize that I’m gonna take it to another level that he has never seen before. So, if he’s expecting the [Vasyl] Lomachenko, or the Josh Taylor fight to happen, it won’t be that type of fight.
“I’ve seen him at his best against Taylor, against Lomachenko … That was the best he could do. I don’t think he can do anything better than that. What I’ve seen from that fight, I feel like I am way better than those guys.”
Teofimo Lopez: ‘Put Him In Front of Me’
Lopez says he will apply all the lessons learned in his career against Stevenson.
“Everything that I learned has brought me to this moment here and now. Every fighter that I faced, in this beautiful weight class, all the things that I learned from every fighter that I faced, to now, will be on display against Shakur Stevenson. And that is what I’m looking forward to more than anything else.
We’ve got to get through him first. That’s all it is. Put him in front of me, and we will beat him. And when it’s all said and done, my hand will be raised once again, and they will say “The Takeover!”
Asked whether fans would see the version of Shakur Stevenson that disarmed another offense-minded opponent, William Zepeda, Stevenson promised “I will be a hundred times better come fight night against Teofimo Lopez than I was against Zepeda. A thousand times better, faster, sharper, stronger, mentally more on point, and I can’t wait.”
Shakur Stevenson: ‘Not On My Level’
Stevenson said any Lopez weaknesses are mental, and he will expose them on January 31. Asked about moving up in weight, Stevenson brushed off any concerns.
“I feel like Teo’s not that much bigger than me. I think he’s kind of a little muscular, but that doesn’t mean anything. Muscle doesn’t win fights. I just can’t wait to beat him and shut him up.
“Teo is not on this level. Teo is a high-level fighter, but he’s not on my level. I’m an elite-level fighter, and come January 31st, I’m going to show it.”
No Friends In Boxing
Lopez appeared to be playing reporter on stage, taking notes during the news conference. What was he writing about?
“I’m just doing some self-work. That’s all it is,” said Lopez. “These are two of the guys that they say are the best of the best, about to lace it up here in beautiful Madison Square Garden, the mecca of boxing. January 31st. I’m happy, I’m grateful, thankful, blessed.”
Lopez promised he would not cut his former stablemate any slack, saying, “there are no friends in boxing.”
“When they presented the fight with Devin [Haney], a lot of things came in my way, but it all happened in perfect alignment. Devin doesn’t have motion, but Shakur has motion. He did his thing. He looked outstanding against William Zepeda at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“And this is what you guys need,” declared Lopez. “This is what boxing needs. This is why we’re here. We’re here to take over. Now we have this lightweight coming up to super lightweight, to come over here and dethrone the champ. And this is why this is the fight. And this is why this fight is happening in early 2026.”
Loepz’s co-manager Mike Borao agreed.
“There’s only one best fighter in the world, and I think that the winner of this fight very likely will be the best fighter in the world,” pointing out both Lopez and Stevenson are still in their twenties and in their prime.
Josh Dubin, co-manager of Stevenson, said he didn’t hesitate to make the matchup. “He’ll beat anyone that’s put in front of him, period,” citing his talent, grit, and drive. “So, if he tells us he can do it, it’s on.”
“There are only very few that are cut from the same cloth as Shakur. He’ll say he wants whoever is the best, and you believe him when he says it. So, if he believes it, we believe it, and we’re just thrilled and excited.”
What Can Fans Expect From Teofimo vs Shakur?
As both men and their trainers and teams prepare and put together their game plans, fans can be assured a contest at the highest skill level. Both Lopez and Stevenson have fights on their resume that were less than stellar against lesser opponents. It’s because both need a challenge to truly drive them to fight up to their potential. Stevenson looked sensational and exciting against Zepeda; Lopez was at his best against a Hall of Fame lock in Lomachenko.
It’s more likely to be a tense, tactical matchup between two types of predators: an unpredictable tiger in Lopez, and a stalking, patient cobra in Stevenson who won’t hesitate to strike when he creates an opening.
The southpaw Stevenson and the orthodox Lopez will add this wrinkle to the mix. Lopez has never lost to a southpaw opponent, back to his amateur record.
Dubin said Stevenson’s performance against Zepeda, which surprised many observers with his offense, wasn’t any surprise to him.
“ He showed me that he’s the same guy he was at 17 years old, and he can do this any way he wants to. He just maybe confirmed to himself that if he has to lay on the inside and do it, he’s going to do it that way, but whatever style gets put in front of him, he can pick and choose how he wants to deal with it,” explained Dubin.
Lopez’s father and trainer, the bombastic and polarizing Teofimo Lopez Sr., predicted a technical fight.
“Let’s see what Shakur shows up with. I hope it’s the Shakur that fought William Zepeda. We’re ready for anything.
“Teofimo Lopez brings excitement to the sport every time he comes to fight. He’s the best when he’s the underdog. I hope he brings the best because that’s what we want.” Lopez said he sees weaknesses in Stevenson, just as he did with Lomachenko and with Josh Taylor, and promised to “break the code” again in January.
The only significant verbal sparring was betweel Lopez Sr. and Stevenson who felt compelled to rebut Lopez Jr.
“I’m none of them fighters. I think he did some great things against them guys. I’ve seen a lot of weakness in his game too,” said Stevenson.
“The difference is you didn’t fight no elite fighter,” claimed Lopez Sr.
“I don’t think y’all did either. I didn’t see Lomachenko throw punches for six rounds,” replied Stevenson. “Because we froze him. And we’re gonna freeze you too,” promised Lopez.
Turki Alalshikh of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, promised the winner can expect a big opportunity to follow.
“Do you need to know the result of this fight? In May, there is a big fight. If it is Shakur, then there will be a big fight for Shakur, if it is Teofimo, then there is a big fight for Teo. This is an important fight. This fight is the first step of a crazy map of boxing next year and at the beginning of ‘27. It will not be an easy fight.”
“We do this for the fans, so we want a great and competitive fight,” said Lopez. Ever since my son started boxing, I told him, ‘This is entertainment and an entertainment business. We’re here to entertain.’ I think Shakur will bring it, so I’m hoping it’s a great fight and I want everyone to see it.”
Stevenson is a significant betting favorite at -350 on FanDuel, with Lopez a +250 moneyline underdog on the same platform.