Coach Bernie Davis says the reason Shakur Stevenson chose Teofimo Lopez over Subriel Matias at 140 to chase a belt is because he wanted to fight a “superstar.” He rates Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) as fitting the label of a “superstar.”
(Credit: Golden Boy)
Did Shakur play it safe at 140?
Insiders suspect that Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) saw the obvious vulnerability in Teofimo’s game, noting his loss to George Kambosos, and his controversial wins at 140 against Sandor Martin and Jamaine Ortiz.
Teo is considered by some fans to be the weakest of the light welterweight champions. They see Shakur as calculated with his selection of him over Matias, Gary Antuanne Russell and Richardson Hitchins.
“Shakur wants all the best fights. He’s a sniper, a defensive wizard, and can you solve this puzzle?” coach Bernie Davies said MillCity Boxing about Shakur Stevenson. “This man is unbeatable.”
If Stevenson wants the best fighters, why did he choose not to fight Andy Cruz, Ernesto Mercado, Raymond Muratalla, Abdullah Mason, or did he reschedule Floyd Schofield? Shakur’s resume is mediocre.
Newark, New Jersey native Stevenson is certainly not unbeatable. We saw in his last fight against William Zepeda and his match against Edwin De Los Santos that he is very beatable. Many fans had him lose to both fighters. He ran from De Los Santos and was booed out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with his 12-round unanimous decision in November 2023.
The ‘Superstar’ illusion at 140
“Matias already has a fight. Teofimo, they’ve tapped in. They’re the young boys,” Bernie said when asked why Shakur isn’t targeting WBA light welterweight champion Subriel Matias at 140 rather than Teofimo. “They are young superstars. This is a superstar fight. Shakur wants a superstar fight.”
If Shakur wants a superstar to artificially validate him, he’s picking the wrong fighter because Teofimo doesn’t meet the standards to be labeled as such. Matias did lose to Liam Paro, but it’s a fight he should have won if the referee had punished the Australian for constant pushing, holding and rushing. Paro used all three of those tactics to neutralize Matias’ offense, and the referee didn’t lift a finger to award him points.
“He just beat Zepeda. He (Stevenson) is a superstar guy. He needs a superstar fight. Teofimo also holds a Ring Magazine Championship. He also has a big win over Lomachenko. He has a big win over Josh Taylor. So, it’s a superstar fight. Subriel Matias is not a superstar,” said Bernie.
A better argument for perhaps the real reason Shakur chose Teofimo over Matias is that he is a more winnable fight. Lopez has struggled since moving up to 140 in 2022 and has only been saved from a career slump due to his top-ranked promoters backing him with careful matchmaking.
The ‘General Population’ Test
If they put in Teofimo the general populationwould he have imploded and be ready for the junk heap. The fighters that would have dropped Lopez’s career now at 140″
- Gary Antoine Russell
- Richardson Hitchins
- Ernesto Mercado
- Keyshawn Davis
- Subriel Mathias
- Alberto Puello
Shakur will likely lose to all or most of those fighters as well. He doesn’t have the strength to handle these types of fighters, and could barely cut it against William Zepeda. He doesn’t have the physical tools to beat the top fighters at 140 or 135.
Indeed, Matias is not a superstar, but for Berbie to use that as the reason for Shakur’s selection sounds 100% inappropriate or, at the very least, ignorant. Teofimo is not a superstar either. He is a fighter who against George Kambosos Jr. lost and deserved to lose his fight against Jamaine Ortiz on February 8, 2024.
The judges gave Lopez a close 12-round unanimous decision, but many boxing fans saw it as a blatant robbery with the A-side fighter handing the win over the lesser known, less marketable guy.
Written by Nation Vegas, a Boxing Analyst covering world title fights since 2013.
Last updated on 16/10/2025
