Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez | DAZN - January 31, 2026

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STARTING OFF 2026 WITH A BANGER

ANNOUNCED: Teofimo Lopez will defend his Ring and WBO junior welterweight world titles against Shakur Stevenson on January 31st, 2026, headlining The Ring VI in New York City, exclusively on DAZN

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TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON HEADLINES 'THE RING 6' ON JAN. 31 IN NEW YORK

The new year will kick off with a 50-50 marquee matchup featuring two of boxing’s brightest and most talented stars in the prime of their careers.

Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson will square off in the main event of "The Ring 6" on January 31 in New York, exclusively on DAZN, it was announced on Monday.

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), the WBC lightweight champion and The Ring's No. 1-rated contender at 135 pounds, will move up to 140 pounds to challenge The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs).

Lopez, from Brooklyn, and Stevenson, from Newark, New Jersey, have been linked for an all-East Coast showdown for several months. Stevenson, The Ring’s No. 8-rated pound-for-pound fighter, could become a four-division champion if he were to beat Lopez.

But before any fists can fly, the promotional buildup between the 28-year-olds should be brash, as it features fighters who take pride in pressing each other.

“I have never shied away from a challenge and always chased the biggest fights in the sport because I know I am one of the best boxers in the world," Stevenson said. "Teofimo Lopez will learn that firsthand on January 31 when I take his belt and show him that there are levels to this game. New York, get ready for a spectacular performance as I take over a fourth straight weight division.”

Lopez, meanwhile, has different plans.

“Duck, Duck, Goose! Are you ready for New York City?" he said. "Brick city in the concrete jungle, so let’s get ready to rumble! The Takeover is here to stay, not play. Make Boxing Great Again is my forte. Shakur will fall in line.”

Lopez, a former Ring and unified champion at 135 pounds and a 2016 Olympian, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Arnold Barboza Jr. in May as part of The Ring's "FATAL FURY" show in New York's Times Square.

Lopez has been competing at 140 pounds since August 2022 and after stopping Pedro Campa on his debut at the weight, has notched five consecutive victories when going the distance against Sandor Martin, Josh Taylor, Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Claggett and Barboza.

Lopez has fought only once since June 2024. He has a career-best win against Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020, and his lone career loss came against George Kambosos Jr. in November 2021 by split decision.

Rio 2016 silver medalist Stevenson, who held titles at 126 and 130-pounds, should come in as the smaller-framed fighter, even though his measurables of height and reach are nearly the same as Lopez.

But just like his career-long confidant Terence Crawford proved against Canelo Alvarez, Stevenson is looking to show that superior skills, not size will reign supreme against the equally talented Lopez.

Stevenson last fought in July, beating William Zepeda by unanimous decision as part of “The Ring III” card in New York. Five months earlier, Stevenson stopped late-replacement opponent Josh Padley in nine rounds.

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[gregregegg]

This is a legit top class fight. Shakur too good in my opinion, but good to see a proper top contest.

[Sendo Takeshi]

Two of the best boxer at (Super) Lightweight actually fight each other? I'm speechless.

I look forward to it. One of the most interesting fights that could be made.

[gilgamesh]

How long ago was Teo vs Loma? It's been like 8 years right?

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How long ago was Teo vs Loma? It's been like 8 years right?

2020.

5 years ago

Peak Covid.

Was no fans.

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Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson set for January 31 collision in New York

Teofimo Lopez is set to defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Shakur Stevenson on January 31 in New York, Turki Alalshikh’s Ring Magazine have reported.

It is one of boxing’s worst kept secrets that Lopez and Stevenson were in talks for a bout, but the official announcement came today (December 1) for the highly anticipated clash. As reported by BS on Saturday, Eddie Hearn will promote the event on behalf of The Ring/Riyadh Season, and it will take place in New York City with a venue yet to be confirmed.

The WBC lightweight champion Stevenson, 24-0 (11 KOs), will be moving up from 135lbs and will be attempting to win a title in a fourth weight class. The undefeated Stevenson has not fought since his impressive win over William Zepeda back in July, where he also featured on a Ring/Riyadh Season event.

This will also be Lopez’s second bout backed by Saudi Arabia, having fought on the underwhelming Ring show in Times Square, New York, back in May. Lopez, 22-1 (13 KOs), was then in negotiations with Riyadh Season to face Devin Haney, but there was a late breakdown in negotiations. Instead, Haney would go on to successfully claim the WBO welterweight title with a 12-round points win over Brian Norman Jnr on November 22.

Stevenson’s bout with Lopez represents a standout name that Stevenson has been chasing since his departure from Top Rank. Lopez’s sole defeat was a shocking loss to George Kambosos back in 2021, and he has claimed titles at both 135lbs and 140lbs.

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Teofimo Lopez aims to stop Shakur Stevenson, challenge Terence Crawford at 160

Teofimo Lopez has lofty goals to kick off the new year.

They include:

- Headlining “The Ring 6” and beating Shakur Stevenson on January 31 in New York to defend his Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles.
- Stepping up three weight classes to challenge Terence Crawford, pound-for-pound king and Stevenson’s career-long confidant.

“They are trying to bring a lightweight to take over Teofimo — it's not going to happen,” Lopez said on “Inside The Ring.”

“Crawford sent out one of his little guys to do the job, and that's not going to work. I'm still going to be here, and if he's still going to be in boxing, I would love to face him right after. He is the man. I'm going to get to Crawford later on at 160. If Crawford can go up three weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez, why can't I?”

Lopez competed around Crawford ever since turning pro in 2016, but they were always in different stages of their careers. They started separating even further away from each other once Crawford moved up to 154 pounds to beat Israil Madrimov last year after an undisputed welterweight title run. Crawford is coming off a career-best win against Alvarez in September to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.

Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) and Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) have engaged in extended beefs in recent years, and the latter could be inclined to settle the score in the ring if the fight makes sense at the time it is presented.

Crawford plans to fight again at 160 pounds sometime next year.

In the meantime, Lopez plans on scoring a statement win by stopping Stevenson.

“It's about setting a good pace from the opening rounds, and going from there,” said Lopez. “I don't see him going the 12 rounds. This is his first time moving to 140. A lot of people can say whatever they want about me not knocking them out [over my last five fights], but they don't try to fight me after feeling my power. It's for a reason. My power carries. You saw it with Arnold Barboza [in my last fight in May]. I had a good showing. He was too hesitant to commit to punches. It's going to be a rude awakening for Shakur.”

[2205754]

I think this fight comes down to discipline vs explosiveness. Stevenson is one of the few fighters today who can make world level opponents look lost. His timing, footwork, and accuracy are all sharp. He does not waste movements and he rarely lets emotions change his plan.

Lopez is the opposite type. He brings danger at all times. Even when he looks quiet, he can flip a round with one counter. If he finds a rhythm early, he becomes a real problem at 140 because his shots have weight and his confidence grows fast.

For me, the biggest question is which version of Lopez shows up. If he is focused and steady, he can push Stevenson in a way many have not seen. But if he falls back into long pauses or tries to load up too much, Stevenson will read him and start banking rounds.

Right now I slightly lean toward Stevenson because he keeps his shape and does not break down under pressure. Still, Lopez has the kind of power that can make everyone second guess their pick.

Great matchup, and if it happens in January it might end up being one of the best style clashes of the year.

[Evander]

Is this a done deal ?
Do they have a venue ?

I read somewhere Madison Square Garden, rumour

[Ruthless-RKO]

Is this a done deal ?
Do they have a venue ?

I read somewhere Madison Square Garden, rumour

Would make it fair.. they did say it would be in between.

Barclays Center is Teo's home and NJ is Shakur's

[Evander]

Is this a done deal ?
Do they have a venue ?

I read somewhere Madison Square Garden, rumour

Would make it fair.. they did say it would be in between.

Barclays Center is Teo's home and NJ is Shakur's

Depends what they can fill
I would've guess Brooklyn

[Evander]

Saying 31st January
A week after Muratalla v Cruz in Vegas on the 24th

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Lamont Roach Jnr backs Shakur Stevenson to beat Teofimo Lopez; eyes mega-fight down the line

Lamont Roach believes he will face Shakur Stevenson next, should they both come through their respective bouts.

Roach recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani show to talk up his upcoming bout with Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz this weekend. Roach will be headlining his second successive pay-per-view event this Saturday when he faces Cruz in San Antonio, Texas, having previously fought to a controversial draw against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis back in March. That bout was Roach’s first in the lightweight division, having moved up from 130lbs where he still currently holds the WBA title. Roach will be heading north yet again when he faces Cruz, this time competing at 140lbs and for the WBC interim junior welterweight title.

“So, are you done with 135lbs?” asked Helwani.

“Not at all. I’ve got unfinished business,” replied Roach. “Honestly, what people don't understand is like, I never struggled to make 130lbs. So, you know, it was normal to have to cut weight, but it wasn't like I was killing myself to make 130lbs. That's why I was still campaigning at 130lbs for so long, and to be a champion. I've been fighting 130lbs since I was 15. I was at 132lbs in the amateurs. So like, obviously my body is used to that weight.”

Roach will challenge Cruz from the interim version of the WBC junior lightweight title, with the full-owner Subriel Matias, set to defend his belt against Dalton Smith on January 10. Although that bout is in doubt after Matias tested positive for trace amounts of the banned substance ostarine. If Matias was to pick up a ban, then it is likely the owner of the interim strap would be promoted to full champion by the WBC. However, the contest may still go ahead after reports that the amount of ostarine in Matias’ system was in the legal threshold.

“Yes, there is an issue. I think they're on the way to handling it,” said Roach of Matias-Smith. “I think the New York State Athletic Commission will allow it, which is weird. Yeah, that fight is going to go on. I think they allow a certain [amount[ even though it's an illegal substance that you can't get anywhere else outside of like the black market. They have a level, like a threshold. That's weird to me, but hey.”

Helwani turned the conversation onto the controversial encounter with Davis back in March. The pair were in talks to run back the encounter, with a date set for August before Davis instead opted to fight Jake Paul. A bout that would later be axed due to Davis’ legal troubles. Helwani asked Roach: “How close were you to rematching ‘Tank’?”

“As close as if he wouldn't have veered off, it would have happened,” said Roach. “So he activated his rights to the rematch, which contractually binds us to a fight where no event or fight should take place in between. He did what isn't supposed to happen. He took a fight with Jake Paul. Technically, I think he just felt like he was going to be able to bogart it and just be like, all right, what are they going to do? And either like force my hand or whatever the case may be. I mentioned arbitration before because that's how business works. It's nothing against whatever or whoever, but that's how business works. If you illegally go about a contract the wrong way, then what do you think is going to happen? The business has to get handled. So that's my whole take on it.

“But at the end of the day, PBC and that side over there, those guys are good guys. They made sure that I was taken care of and they presented me with another opportunity that was very fruitful for my liking.”

Roach came into the contest as a huge underdog, despite holding a title in the weight below, but shocked many with his performance. Many believed he had done enough to have his hand raised after 12 rounds, but the ringside judges thought differently.

“Like even in the early rounds where there wasn't much going on, I was in control,” said Roach of his showing. “Like there were less punches thrown and people were saying he was downloading data. I mean, he was trying to figure it out, but he really couldn't. Like, so I just did my best to control the ring, try to control the narrative. I think the first six rounds, I think at least being honest, I think at least we should have at least split those rounds. If you want to be the favorite, then give the champ some of the rounds, but come on now, on two of them scorecards I think I lost five of the first six rounds.”

The moment of the fight – and in the end the moment that cost Roach the fight – took place in Round 9, when chemicals from Davis’ hair seeped into his eye. Roach landed a jab that further caused discomfort to Davis’ vision, and the champion decided to take a knee, he then got up and allowed his cornerman to wipe his eyes clean. The referee Willis controversially did not call a knockdown, and if he had, Roach would have taken the decision on the cards.

“The ninth round was BS. That was BS,” Roach said. “I would get mad a few times after I watched it. I think it was just, I don't know. It's just like, all right, some people get special treatments. Some people were like, we talked about this over and over again. The referee saw that it was a knockdown, started counting, and then somehow, someway, you let him say something to you, to convince you like, ‘All right, well, you can't do that again, because if you do it, it looks like a knockdown.’

“How do you verbally, you say that out your mouth too. Like it's picked up on the mics and everything. So it's just like, you stop your count and tell them it looks like a knockdown. Like, what do you mean it looks like a knockdown? It was a knockdown. I get mad looking at it and talking about it. [I’m calm] because it's over with.”

“So once all that happened, were you guys in active negotiations to rematch?” Helwani asked Roach.

“Like, we were supposed to fight in June. Like June 14th or something or June 21st,” he replied. “That's when we signed our original contract. We signed not too long after the fight, but it never got officially announced. It was sort of reported. It was reported, but we actually signed on the dotted line for June. Then they needed more time. Then it got pushed back to August. That was the one that was announced. And then the whole Jake Paul thing happened.

“That's why this fight is taking place with people. We kind of figured that after it's heating up on him, after that last fight, we don't know what's going to go on. We know what we're dealing with. We know we're dealing with a wild card when it comes to boxing, when it comes to business, when it comes to his personal life. So we don't know what can happen. And my dad, my manager, made sure that he put in a contract, ‘No matter what, even if we don't fight Gervonta Davis, we're going to fight this year regardless because we don't know what's going to happen with him.’ And once we started hearing the Jake Paul talks, we were just like, ‘All right, here we go.’ And then next thing you know, it really came out that he was going to fight him.”

Davis' clash with Paul broke down after accusations of an assault and kidnapping from an ex-girlfriend meant Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions were forced to pull the plug.

“Do you think Davis would have beat him?” asked Helwani.

“Yeah, he's too skilled,” said Roach. “The experience, everything, it wouldn't have been close.”While Davis missed out on the lucrative bout with Paul, his loss was Anthony Joshua’s gain, and the former heavyweight champion will now face Paul instead on December 19.

“Anthony by murder. Might knock his head off a little bit,” said Roach of the fight. “Like it might be a special effect, but it might go out.”

“First round?” asked Helwani.

“It depends on if AJ is going out there to knock him out in the first round, if he wanted to, he could,” Roach replied.

Davis has talked of walking away from the sport after 2025. Roach believes that will be the case.

“He said he was going to retire. I believe him,” Roach said. “He said he was going to retire at the end of 2025, right? Here we are at the end of 2025. I believe him. He told everybody he don't really care about boxing. He told people he don't care about championships. And he told people he's going to get his money and y'all not going to see him again. It looks like he's doing it.”

But are there any regrets for Roach that he may never have the win over Davis on his record?

“No. I did what I was supposed to do that night,” he said. “I wrongfully got screwed out of it, but I did what I was supposed to do. That's all that matters to me. And the fact that I'm going to move on and do the other things that I'm supposed to do. I'm going to achieve my goals of being a multi-division world champion. I'm going to achieve my goal as being at least somewhere on the top 10 pound-for-pound list. That was the start. Well, when I beat Hector for my first world title, that was the start. And then the run after this is going to be... It's going to be crazy.”

So, is the door closed on a rematch with Davis completely?

“I don't even... We don't even have conversations… not interested,” Roach said.

Talk then turned to Roach’s management/promotional team, Garry Jonas’ ProBox TV, who have led Roach to his 130lb title and onwards. Helwani asked Roach about the tension between Jonas and Riyadh Season frontman Turki Alalshikh, saying: “Garry [Jonas] has got a bit of a feud going with Saudi Arabia, huh?”

“Man, Garry's crazy, man. Garry's crazy. But Garry is an advocate for what's right for boxing,” Roach replied.

“So, you feel good with him by your side?” Helwani responded.

“Oh, for sure,” said Roach.

As Helwani does with many of his guests, he then asked Roach for his opinion on the recent legislation that is being pushed by Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, that will alter the current “Ali Act” that is in place to protect fighters.

“It sucks that they're trying to change it up, that they don't notice that it's for the protection of the boxer,” said Roach. “So they'll come around to it. I know that boxing as a whole, we won't conform to anything moving forward without the Ali Act.”

So Roach does not believe that the sport needs one belt and one entity controlling all?

“It's the way you go about it. It's how you do it,” said Roach. “The way that they're proposing it now, it's like they're trying to monopolize it. You know, the sanctioning bodies, they've been doing a good job. They've been doing a good job. It's just... It's up to the fighters. It's up to the promoters to make the right matches to make sure that there's a definite champion. And I think they do a good job with the Ring Magazine belt. It's just the fights aren't happening to crown that lineal champion.”

Another junior welterweight clash was announced earlier this week, with Teofimo Lopez set to defend his WBO crown against three-division champion Shakur Stevnson on January 31.

“It's a great fight. I can't wait till it happens. I think Shakur wins,” said Roach. “I think that'll line up a future mega fight for me and Shakur. Whatever weight he wants it to be at. I think 135lbs because he said he wants to go back to 135 and defend his belt.”

So, why is Roach backing Stevenson to dethrone Lopez?

“Teofimo has fits with guys who are technical,” he said. “And the only technical guy that he didn't have a problem with is Lomachenko. But Lomachenko had to come forward that fight, too, a little bit. He had to be less technical. But other than that, he has a fit with guys who are just pure boxers. And Shakur probably boxes also.”

Stevenson has taken criticism from many, with even including Alalshikh mocking his style by comparing his fights to “Tom and Jerry.”

“I mean, he do what he do to win. I like a lot of his performances,” said Roach. ‘He's a hit and not get hit guy and once he seeks the opportunity or has the opportunity to punch on some people, he does. So, I don't see nothing wrong with it. I mean if you want to say fan friendly, sometimes it might not be. But it's very few. Other than that, he fights pretty good.”

Talk then returned to Roach’s bout with Cruz, and Roach was asked for his prediction to finish the show.

“That I win very convincingly,” Roach said. “Pitbull is a tough cookie. Everybody's talking about how, you know, if I make a statement by stopping him and all that, he hasn't been stopped for a reason. Let's put that out there right now. He hasn't been stopped for a reason. Do I think I can stop him? Yes. But if I don't, don't be upset with me. That's all I'm going to say.”

[Evander]

Show me a good undercard
Floyd Schofield free for NYC

[Ruthless-RKO]

Underdog Teofimo Lopez ready to ‘break the bank,’ give Shakur Stevenson ‘rude awakening

The fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson was announced Monday, and “The Ring 6” main event is set to take place January 31 in New York.

Oddsmakers took notice of the mouthwatering matchup and immediately installed Stevenson as a near -350 betting favorite, and Lopez as a +250 underdog.

Most boxing experts believe the betting line is too much in favor of Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), the WBC lightweight champion and The Ring’s No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, who is moving up to 140 to challenge Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion.

But Lopez loves being picked to lose, just like he was before scoring career-best wins against Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 and Josh Taylor in 2023.

“A lot of the odds were always against me, and I think that's when I perform my best,” Lopez said on “Inside The Ring.”

“I look forward to doing that again. I can't wait to execute. Let the odds go even higher. I want to break the bank.”

Lopez said he expects to stop the smaller Stevenson, who is looking to win a title in a fourth weight class in his division debut.

Although Lopez has stacked a series of respectable wins as a junior welterweight since fighting in the division beginning in August 2022, stoppage wins have escaped him.

Lopez stopped Pedro Campa in his division debut, and he has notched five consecutive decision wins ever since against Sandor Martin, Josh Taylor, Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Claggett and Barboza.

Stevenson, a slick southpaw, has wins against William Zepeda, Josh Padley, Robson Conceicao, Oscar Valdez and Jamel Herring, but carries a considerably lower knockout percentage (45%) compared with Lopez (59%).

“[The resumes] don't matter until we hang up the gloves,” said Lopez. “We have such a long career ahead of us, depending on how we do with our health. We're starting 2026 off with a bang … We wanted this fight badly. He's coming for my crown, and we both want to be No. 1.”

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Mayweather Says Shakur Is The A-Side Over Teo

Floyd Mayweather views Shakur Stevenson as the A-side in his January 31 fight against Teofimo Lopez.

Shakur moves up from 135 to try and secure Lopez’s WBO Junior Welterweight Title. Stevenson is a three-weight world champion, the current WBC Lightweight Champion, having beaten William Zepeda in July. The win took his undefeated record to 24-0, with 11 knockouts to his name. Lopez, although the WBO champ, has one loss on his record against George Kambosos Jr.

Lopez arguably is the more entertaining fighter, which may be a reason why he is viewed as the A-side. Shakur has developed a reputation for not being the most exciting fighter, often prioritising defense over action. Should Stevenson dethrone Lopez, he would be the 25th boxer in history to win world titles in four different weight divisions. It also sets the stage for future bouts against Richardson Hitchins and Gary Antuanne Russell. Mayweather, according to Stevenson, sees him as the A-side.

“He [Mayweather] had a whole lot to say, but I don’t like to [put stuff out there]. One thing that he was just saying is that he doesn’t think that I should be the B-side for this upcoming fight. He thinks that I should be the A-side. He really felt strongly about it, but it is what it is,” Mayweather said

The Reality
The immediate counter-argument is that Lopez is the reigning champion at the weight class where the fight is taking place. A key element of his marketability, which translates into “A-side” status, is the knockout threat. Lopez’s career-defining moment—the upset victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko—was a massive, highly-publicized event that propelled him to mainstream recognition.

Lopez has been involved in major promotional events, including headlining fights against Lomachenko and Josh Taylor. The “A-side” is ultimately the fighter people are most willing to pay for. The worry is that a Stevenson fight could be a boring, low-volume chess match, whereas Lopez, even when struggling, guarantees explosive moments and high drama. Mayweather’s assessment values pure skill above all else.

[Ruthless-RKO]

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Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson will be at Madison Square Garden

The home for next month’s big fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson is official – and it is a fitting location.

Lopez vs. Stevenson will headline a card on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, the storied venue in the New York City borough of Manhattan that is often described as the Mecca of Boxing.

The arena has an ideal location as well as history. Lopez is from across the East River in the city’s borough of Brooklyn. Stevenson was born nearby in the other direction, hailing from Newark, New Jersey.

Lopez, 28, is the current lineal and WBO junior welterweight champion and was previously the lineal champion at 135lbs. He is 22-1 (13 KOs) and will be attempting the fourth defense of the throne he seized from Josh Taylor in 2023. Since then, Lopez has won decisions over Jamaine Ortiz, Steve Claggett and Arnold Barboza.

Stevenson, who is also 28, is the WBC champion at lightweight, his third weight class as a titleholder after reigns at 126 and 130lbs. He is 24-0 (11 KOs) and has made three defenses since winning the vacant title against Edwin De Los Santos in 2023. Stevenson outpointed Artem Harutyunyan, stopped late replacement Josh Padley, and is coming off an excellent decision win over top contender William Zepeda.

Lopez vs. Stevenson will stream on DAZN. The rest of the card has not yet been announced.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Madison Square Garden Will Host Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson

A week after the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson fight finally became official, The Ring revealed where it will take place.

The Ring confirmed Monday that Lopez will defend his Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The venue wasn’t mentioned December 1 as part of the fight announcement because the site deal wasn’t finalized at that time.

The pre-sale for tickets is scheduled to begin Wednesday at noon ET, via ticketmaster.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Thursday at noon ET, also at ticketmaster.com.

The Brooklyn-born Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) and Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), a native of nearby Newark, New Jersey, will headline a DAZN Pay-Per-View event next month.

Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champ, will attempt to become a titleholder in a fourth weight class in this battle between 28-year-old rivals. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist opened as more than a 3-1 favorite to dethrone Lopez, a two-division champion.

The Ring ranks Stevenson eighth on its pound-for-pound list. He is also No. 1 among The Ring’s lightweight contenders for a vacant championship.

Lopez isn’t on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, but he has held its junior welterweight title since he soundly defeated former undisputed 140-pound champ Josh Taylor on points 2½ years ago.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shakur Stevenson: Me, Teofimo Lopez Are Bad Style Matchups For Each Another

Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez Jr. will headline “The Ring 6” on January 31 at the Madison Square Garden in New York on DAZN.

A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, and before the promotional tour kicks off, Stevenson, just like Lopez, joined “Inside The Ring” to discuss their much-anticipated matchup.

“I thought Teo looked good in his last fight [against Arnold Barboza Jr.]. He was on point,” Stevenson said of Lopez’s unanimous points win in May. “Once I saw how on point he was, it made me get up for the challenge. I reached out to the people I needed to, and made this fight happen.”

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) is the WBC lightweight champion, The Ring’s No. 1-rated fighter at 135 pounds, and the No. 8 fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world. Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds to challenge Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion.

“We’re both bad styles for each other,” Stevenson said. “He’s not going to win coming forward. He’s going to try and sit back and bring me to him. That style is something he is going to try to make me do, something out of the ordinary than what I am used to doing. I do the same thing.

“So we are kind of similar in style. His style is a bad matchup for me and my style is a bad matchup for him. It’s all about execution, it matters who comes in on their A game on fight night, who is focused and willing to do whatever it takes to win the fight. That’s who’s going to win the fight.”

Stevenson is coming off a unanimous-decision win against William Zepeda in July.

“Zepeda was a volume puncher and I had to fight him a certain way to win that fight,” Stevenson said. “When I fight Teo, I am going to have to fight differently [than I did against Zepeda]. I can do it all. I have so many things in my arsenal. I can do everything needed to come out victorious.

“Teo is going to be the best version of himself come fight night. I have to take him seriously and that’s the guy I am focused on. I can’t look past him. I am going to be a lot faster and stronger, a lot better than he thinks. He's a great fighter but makes a lot of mistakes and I see a lot of holes in his game. I am better than him.”

Stevenson also shared his stance on being on the outside looking in on the “Four Kings” conversation that first started five years ago, featuring Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. Stevenson was a featherweight at the time, but he still took offense to not being included in the group.

If Stevenson beats Lopez, he’ll become a four-division champion – an accomplishment neither of the “kings” has accomplished.

“It fueled me a lot,” Stevenson said. “I can’t stop thinking about that time. Guys looked past me and said I wasn’t this good. I know it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. During this marathon, I am going to be the last one at the end of the race. I am charged up.”