Unbeatable and sometimes looking untouchable, the lefty is the favorite on Saturday night when he faces López at Madison Square Garden in an attempt to conquer a title in a fourth weight class.
López (22-1, 13 knockouts) has been observing Stevenson (24-0, 11 knockouts) for years — both were Olympians in 2016 and were at the beginning of their careers when they fought as professionals at the MSG for the first time on the same night in 2017 — and knows his opponent is skillful.
Both fighters come from victories on previous promotions backed by Saudi Arabia, with López defeating Arnold Barboza last May in Times Square, a couple of months before Stevenson defeated William Zepeda at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-largest court in the complex that hosts the US Open, to defend his lightweight title.
This event returns to a traditional boxing venue, and organizers say the MSG will be full for the clash of local fighters, with López from Brooklyn and Stevenson from Newark, New Jersey.
Stevenson is the favorite, at more than three to one, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
«And that's the part I love as a fighter, because we can show and the hands do the rest of the work," he said.
López's fight for the WBO belt headlines another quality "Ring Magazine" card that will be broadcast on DAZN.
Teófimo López has offered some of his best performances against boxers that experts thought would beat him.
Shakur Stevenson is one of those fighters.
«I think there's this idea of what they want from Shakur from the general public and the boxing community sometimes, and I've had many, many analysts who have been in boxing or have watched boxing as long as I've been alive, if not more, and they've been wrong every time. But the 140-pound champion also knows what he's done when the odds are against him.
«I think it's all a trick when it comes to Shakur," said López.
