Shakur Stevenson says that he will be fighting Teofimo Lopez in early 2026, which would see Stevenson looking to win a world title in a fourth division in a move up to 140 lbs.
“Teo’s my son, I’m gonna son him,” Stevenson said at OTX Boxing last night. “Nah, Teo’s a hell of a fighter. I can’t wait for the fight to happen, but I can’t wait to show everybody that there’s levels to this shit.”
Stevenson (24-0, 11 KO) said that he doesn’t really want to wait that long, but that “with the way that my hands
work, I kind of feel as though the smarter route would be to make sure that my hands are 100 percent.”
Stevenson also has taken plenty of shots at Lopez (22-1, 13 KO), who holds the WBO super lightweight title, but also expressed respect for his rival.
“It’s a very interesting fight, because Teo is a guy who’s very similar to me,” he said. “He wants this. It’s not just pretend; there’s a lot of guys out here who are pretending. They want the clout, the fame, and all the stuff that comes with it, but they don’t want greatness, and I think Teo’s one of them guys that also wants greatness.”
The fight is projected for January or February of next year. Stevenson, 28, last fought in July, dominating William Zepeda to retain the WBC lightweight title. Lopez, 28, had the best showing on the ill-fated Times Square card in May, beating Arnold Barboza Jr to retain his title.
