Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO super-lightweight title against Shakur Stevenson, it has been confirmed, in one of the bigger US boxing matches in recent memory.
The bout had been rumoured in recent weeks, and Monday brought confirmation that Stevenson will challenge his fellow American in New York City on 31 January.
Lopez and Stevenson, both 28, are known as two of the brightest talents in US boxing, though both have been somewhat inconsistent with their performances in recent years.
Still, Stevenson is unbeaten at 24-0 (11 knockouts) and is a three-division world champion already, having held gold at featherweight, super-featherweight and lightweight.
He will look to add a world title in a fourth division in January, as he moves up in weight to challenge Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) at 147lb.
The pair will square off at an as-yet-unknown venue, though Madison Square Garden feels the likeliest contender. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is already booked for an event on 31 January.
Last time out, Lopez produced a clinic to outpoint Arnold Barboza Jr in May, retaining his WBO belt in Times Square. Lopez has held the title since 2023 and was previously a unified champion at lightweight.
Meanwhile, Stevenson last fought in July, beating William Zepeda via decision in New York’s Louis Armstrong tennis stadium. With that result, Stevenson retained his WBC belt at lightweight, where he has campaigned since 2023.
Lopez vs Stevenson is one of the bigger match-ups that could have been made in US boxing, at a time when the country’s top stars have largely failed to fight each other.
Ryan Garcia’s 2024 bout with Devin Haney is perhaps the most-recent example of a top-tier fight between American talents, but it was marred by Garcia’s failed weigh-in and the post-fight revelation that he had failed a drug test. Garcia was banned for a year and his points victory was changed to a no-contest. As such, Haney remained unbeaten.
The old amateur rivals were in line for a rematch this year, which would have likely materialised if each had won his respective bout on the Times Square card where Lopez beat Barboza Jr. However, Garcia was dropped and outpointed by Rolly Romero in an upset defeat, while Haney beat Jose Ramirez via decision but was criticised for a lacklustre performance.
Despite the relative absence of big-time bouts in US boxing in recent times, Stevenson insisted in a press release on Monday: “I have never shied away from a challenge and always chased the biggest fights in the sport, because I know I am one of the best boxers in the world.
“Teofimo Lopez will learn that firsthand on 31 January, when I take his belt and show him that there are levels to this game. New York, get ready for a spectacular performance as I take over a fourth straight weight division.”
Lopez also seemed to address the lack of enthralling match-ups Stateside, saying: “Duck, Duck, Goose! Are you ready for New York City? [...] Let’s get ready to rumble! The Takeover is here to stay, not play. Make Boxing Great Again is my forte. Shakur will fall in nine [rounds].”
Lopez holds notable victories over modern great Vasyl Lomachenko and former undisputed champion Josh Taylor. His sole defeat came at the hands of George Kambosos Jr in 2021. Meanwhile, southpaw Stevenson’s standout win arguably came against Oscar Valdez in 2022.
Lopez vs Stevenson, presented by The Ring magazine, will be promoted by Matchroom Boxing and will stream live exclusively on DAZN.
The announcement follows a declaration from Turki Alalshikh last week, when the Saudi adviser denied reports of a “slowdown” of the Gulf state’s spending on boxing. Alalshikh, who bought The Ring in late 2024, has been a key figure in matchmaking at the top end of the sport since 2023.
