Tim Bradley warned Teofimo Lopez today, saying he’s in a no-win situation fighting this generation’s next GOAT, Shakur Stevenson. He says Teofimo (22-1, 13 KOs) is going to be relieved of his WBO light welterweight title by Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs), and it’s going to be a situation where he “steals” them.
Shakur’s pressure campaign for the fight
Shakur has been campaigning hard for the Lopez fight for nearly two months, and he hasn’t let up with the pressure. Interestingly, Stevenson has shown no interest in defending his WBC lightweight title against his #1 contender, Andy Cruz. That’s understandable, though; There’s a good chance Shakur will lose to the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Cruz.
The way Stevenson is dialed in for the Teofimo Lopez fight suggests to some fans on social media that he’s cashing out against him. They think he doesn’t want to defend against the contenders at lightweight because he’s on borrowed time as the WBC 135-lb champion.
The contenders could ruin Stevenson’s career and mess up the money flow he’s getting fighting on Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season cards against strictly beatable opposition. Shakur has made a fortune from his last two fights on Turki’s cards against a part-time boxer, Josh Padley, and William Zepeda.
The GOAT of this generation
“You’re fighting another GOAT of this generation. That is going to be a problem, big dog, because Teofimo Lopez, you’re not beating Shakur Stevenson,” said Tim Bradley on his YouTube site, lecturing Teofimo Lopez about what he’s up against in fighting Shakur Stevenson.
Bradley is going overboard, calling Shakur a “GOAT,” because he’s not beaten any of the sharks at 135. The name fighters that Stevenson beat at 126 and 130, Oscar Valdez and Jamel Herring, were on the downside of their careers.
At lightweight, Stevenson hasn’t taken the risks needed to show that he’s a GOAT. Whether that’s due to his promoter or manager is unknown.
Stevenson’s Watershed Moment
Still, the reality is that Shakur hasn’t faced a formidable opponent since his poor performance against Edwin De Los Santos on November 16, 2023. That was a watershed moment in Shakur’s career, as he’s been matched against weaker punchers ever since that fight.
Stevenson’s last three contests
- William Zepeda
- Josh Padley
- Artem Harutyunyan
Stealing all of the belts
“He knows how to beat you. Shakur is going to steal all them belts [WBO and Ring Magazine 140-lb titles],” said Bradley.
Tim mentioning the word “steal” regarding Stevenson is ominous, as some fans felt that his last opponent, Williams Zepeda, was robbed of a victory in their fight on July 12th in Queens, New York.
In that fight, Zepeda landed numerous body shots, working over Shakur in every round, yet the judges didn’t appear to factor in those punches in their scoring. They scored it wide for Stevenson 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109. Fans on social media questioned whether the judges watched the fight, scoring it 10-2.
If the Lopez-Stevenson fight is scored in the same way as last Saturday’s superfight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, Shakur has got this one in the bag. Shakur just needs to box and move, throw a few shots with his amateur style to impress the judges, and he’ll be in great shape to win a points decision.
The need for a knockout
Lopez may need a knockout for him to get the decision in this fight, because it’s going to be hard with Shakur coming in as the A-side in the fight. Teofimo might not be given any favors with the scoring in the fight against Stevenson.
The scores for Shakur’s last fight against Zepeda have to be seen as a signal of what Teofimo may be up against trying to get a win against the New Jersey native.