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By: Sean Crose
They’re both excellent fighters, but only one can emerge victorious. There’s a reason why this Saturday’s throwdown between WBC junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and lightweight king Shakur Stevenson has sold out Madison Square Garden – it’s a big deal. There’s a lot more riding at stake here than a world title. Both Lopez and Stevenson are obviously big names within the sport, but there’s a chance one will emerge an outright star this weekend. And while it might not have the makings of an Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello style junior welterweight thriller, it promises an interesting clash of styles nonetheless.
At 24 years of age, Stevenson has only stopped 11 opponents in a career that has spanned 24 fights. That’s because knockouts don’t make up much of Stevenson’s repertoire. The man relies on a single simple strategy which thus far has led to victory after victory: Hit and Not Get Hit. To watch the man in the ring is to watch a nearly pure form of fluidity. He slips out of range, lands in combinations, and dominates by using an excellent southpaw jab.
A study of Lopez is a bit more complicated. The fighter known as The Takeover started out as a knockout machine, ending fights with thudding power while drawing attention as one of the brasher practitioners of a very brash sport. An upset win over Vasyl Lomachenko about five years back put Lopez way up on boxing’s Mount Olympus. Yet a subsequent stunning defeat at the gloved hands of George Kambosos put a sudden stop to the man’s momentum. A pile of wins have returned Lopez to – or nearly to – his high perch. He’s an extremely skilled fighter, Lopez, something that compensates for his seeming lack of power now that he fights at junior welterweight.
So who wins on Saturday night? I may be laughed out of the fight writing business for this, but I favor Lopez. Why? Because he’s bigger and stronger than Stevenson. More importantly, however, is the fact Lopez is a terrific counterpuncher. Responding effectively to Stevenson’s flurries should alleviate the speed advantage Stevenson brings into the ring. Remember, Stevenson has never fought at this weight before. He’s also never faced an opponent of Lopez’ caliber. It will simply be a case of too much all at once for Stevenson. So long as he stays consistent throughout the bout, I think the night will belong to Lopez, courtesy of a split decision victory.
