Tim Bradley is amped up about the “great fundamentals” that Shakur Stevenson will be displaying against WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez on January 31st on Ring 6.
Will Fans Tune Out?
Bradley believes that fans are going to be in for a real treat watching Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) box all night in this headliner fight on DAZN PPV. The event’s price is still unclear.
With this being on pay-per-view, fans are going to want to see action in the main event, not the chess match that Bradley is looking forward to watching. Fans want smashed faces and blood, not technical chess matches from a fighter who uses the old-school method.
“Shakur Stevenson, you already know what he brings to the ring. Defense first. ‘You ain’t getting nothing. I’m going to get mine when I get mine, but you ain’t getting nothing,'” said Tim Bradley on his channel, talking about Shakur Stevenson’s title challenge against Teofimo Lopez.
Unless Shakur chooses to fight stationary like he did against William Zepeda, he’s going to keep the fight at long range all night, jabbing and throwing single shots. If Lopez is aggressive, which he normally isn’t, it’ll be an entertaining match to watch.
That’s not his style. He’s the opposite of Zepeda. Stevenson chose not to run from him, because he would be tracked down if he tried.
“You might see this fight as boring, but it’s going to be one heck of a technical battle that I can’t wait to see. I can’t wait to see this battle,” said Bradley.
Well, fans are hoping it’s not a “technical battle,” because they want action, not a replay of the dull fights on the Times Square card earlier this year in New York. That was the card in which Teofimo boxed his way to a boring 12-round decision over Arnold Barboza Jr.
Younger Fans Want Chaos
Bradley is an example of the older generation of fans who enjoyed the Mayweather style. The younger generation has no patience for boring hit-and-not-get-hit chess matches. They view pure boxers as from a bygone generation that is best forgotten. For boxing to compete in this era, it must involve entertaining fighters. That’s just the reality.
“You’re going to witness great fundamentals [Shakur Stevenson’s hit-and-don’t get-hit] vs. that explosive stuff,” said Bradley.
Teofimo didn’t look explosive in his last fight against Barboza Jr. He was using the same defensive style that Shakur does. The last time Lopez was explosive was back in 2019, when he knocked out Richard Commey in the second round. He hasn’t looked explosive in any of his fights in the last six years.