Teofimo Lopez believes his loss to Shakur Stevenson would have played out differently with a better approach, and admits his tactics fell short on the night. The former unified champion kept his assessment direct, pointing to execution rather than ability.
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“Any other night if I do what I wanted to do, it will be a different story,” Teofimo said on Carl Froch’s channel.
Teofimo said the defeat came down to a flawed strategy and a departure from the style that had determined his success.
“I just went with the wrong plan. I tried something quick. Not the right person to do it with,” Lopez said.
Teofimo said he couldn’t nail down the basics that usually anchor his performances, including his movement and control of distance.
“I was too flat. Way too flat. I had no footwork, and I’m known for my footwork.”
While avoiding outright apologies, Teofimo suggested that not everything around him was working as it should during the fight.
“There are no excuses, but just not having my coach properly focused is also in line with the result.”
Teofimo also claimed there were moments in the fight that went unpunished.
“There were a lot of illegal things he did, but the referee didn’t call any of it.”
Despite the loss, Teofimo made it clear that he has no intention of revising the result and is instead targeting an increase in weight.
“I’m looking forward to moving up to 147 and claiming new divisions and new world titles,” Lopez said.
The comments leave open the possibility that Teofimo still sees a path to beating Stevenson, even as he prepares to take on new challenges at welterweight.
There is a disconnect between Teofimo’s incorrect game plan narrative and the actual physical mismatch we saw in the ring.
William Zepeda provided high volume, suffocating pressure that forced the technician Shakur to work every second of every round in their fight last year. Teofimo, on the other hand, is a low-volume counterpuncher who relies on explosive athletic bursts.
When those volleys were neutralized by Shakur’s lead hand control and lateral movement, Teofimo didn’t have a Plan B.
Every time Teofimo tried to close the gap, he ran into a tight jab from Shakur. Without a consistent inside game or the willingness to eat two shots to land one, he was effectively stranded on the outside.
Teofimo’s claim that better footwork would have changed things ignores that Shakur is arguably the best in the sport at running distance. Footwork only works if you have the volume to back it up; otherwise you’re just moving to better angles for your opponent.
Last updated on 2026/05/01 at 14:13
