“It was a boxing lesson”
BoMac McIntyre answered directly when asked what he saw.
“A masterpiece, man. Shakur just looked so smooth, calm and relaxed. It was beautiful. It was the one boxing lesson that you future guys, young guys in the amateurs, just go pro, watch it. It was beautiful.”
That line landed because it suited the fight. Stevenson settled early, set his sights and never let Lopez into the fight. There was no urgency to impress. Just pure control. McIntyre showed discipline.
The corner sound also stuck with him.
“You heard his father say in the corner: ‘What happened to your quick hands?’ That s**t didn’t work.”
It was the fight in one sentence. Lopez’s speed never showed as Stevenson never allowed clean entries. Fast hands mean little if your feet are always late.
No adjustments available
When asked if Lopez could have changed anything, McIntyre closed the door.
“No, I don’t think whatever he would have brought to the table would have worked. Shakur just has a great boxing spirit. That’s just it.”
This is coach language. This means that the opponent has removed options. Lopez tried to wait. He tried to push. He tried to explode in spots, especially the eighth. Nothing like it. Stevenson immediately reset and finished the round strong, then ended the fight without drama.
McIntyre’s last comment was half joke, half warning.
“I don’t know, man. You probably want to stay away from that kid.”
What it really means going forward
Stevenson now controls the junior welterweight picture in practical terms. Alphabet rules exist, but fighters who dominate like that gain flexibility. Networks follow them. Sanctioning bodies adjust around them. Mandatory talks come later, if at all.
For Lopez, the road narrows. Such a big loss pushes him out of the immediate title business and into rebuilding territory.
McIntyre’s comments strip the night to its core.
