Teofimo-Shakur Fight Likely for Late January in New York
By Eddie Sanchez
Talks to stage a blockbuster matchup between American champions Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson were described Tuesday as “on track.”
An individual familiar with the negotiations told BoxingScene that recent discussions have been so productive it’s fair to call the WBO 140-pound title bout “imminent,” with plans targeting late January in New York.
The “Ring” bout is set to be promoted by Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, who this year has brought several high-profile cards to New York, including events in Times Square and at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Junior welterweight and two-division champion Lopez (22-1, 13 KO) of Brooklyn last fought on the Times Square card, scoring a commanding unanimous decision win over interim champion Arnold Barboza Jr.
Three-division champion Stevenson (24-0, 11 KO) of Newark, New Jersey, appeared on Alalshikh’s July show at the tennis venue, dominating hard-hitting Mexican contender William Zepeda by scores of 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109.
Both fighters are 28 years old and at the peak of their careers, each ranked among the sport’s pound-for-pound elite.
With DAZN already set to stage a lightweight title fight in Las Vegas on January 24 between IBF champion Raymond Muratalla and 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz of Cuba, the expectation is that Lopez–Stevenson will take place on January 31, falling neatly between the NFL conference championship weekend and the Super Bowl.
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