Gary Antuanne is teaming up with Teofimo Lopez to defeat Shakur Stevenson if he can fight like he did when he defeated Vasily Lomachenko five years ago. He says Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) needs to be “ready” for him to defeat the highly technical Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs).
Can Teo still fight like 2020?
The aggressive, search-and-destroy Lopez, who defeated Lomachenko in October 2020, will be a problem for Shakur as he will be forced to trade. Loma tried to move, but it didn’t work. Lopez repeatedly cut off the ring and landed big shots on Lomachenko.
Teofimo will defend his WBO light welterweight title against Stevenson on January 31, 2026. Lopez will have the natural strength and size advantage against Shakur, who moves up from 135 in search of his fourth divisional world title.
Shakur’s low-risk approach
Although Stevenson has size, he lacks power, and he doesn’t like to be hit. Russell notes that he doesn’t take the same risks as Lopez because his defensive style is so ingrained in him. He cannot change.
Why He Leans Teofimo
“Obviously, I think Teofimo is stronger than Shakur. He has more athleticism than Shakur, and he has a high IQ on the sport,” Gary Antuanne Russell said. Fight Hub TVthat the Teofimo Lopez vs. Discusses Shakur Stevenson competition taking place next month on January 31st.
“Shakur, I feel like he’s a smarter fighter. He’s a more technical fighter. Mentally, he’s more mature. He doesn’t go out of bounds to take risks. He’s a cautious fighter. I think with Teofimo Lopez, he’s going to be a cautious fighter,” Russell said.
If Teofimo can land his hard power punches in every round, he can win a decision as he is going to have the power advantage in this fight. If it comes down to which of them connects with the cleaner, harder shots, it might be Lopez. It just depends on whether Teo can land on Stevenson consistently enough.
“Shakur has a lot in his arsenal that will help him win. It’s a 50-50 fight, and it depends on who shows up on the night of the fight. If Teofimo Lopez shows up and is ready to fight like he fought (Vasily) Lomachenko, Teo wins,” Russell said.
Lomachenko was 34 and smaller than Teofimo. One could see the size difference between them on the night of the fight. The then 23-year-old Lopez looked like a welterweight fighting a super featherweight, and he had the power advantage.
This was not the same Loma who turned pro in 2013 after winning two Olympic gold medals. He also fought two divisions above his best weight class of featherweight, competing with an injured right arm.
Last updated on 12/06/2025
