In the lead-up to their much-anticipated world title bout, Shakur Stevenson has openly discussed what he perceives as his most significant advantage over Teofimo Lopez. The stage is set for Stevenson to challenge Lopez for his WBO super lightweight world title at the iconic Madison Square Garden this Saturday, in an event that will be broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view. Despite moving up from the lightweight division, the 28-year-old Stevenson is widely favored by bookmakers to unseat his fellow American and claim the title.
Lopez’s confidence seemed to waver after a split decision victory over Sandor Martin in 2022, where he was knocked down and publicly questioned his own abilities in the ring. Stevenson, hailing from Newark, believes that his mental fortitude will be the deciding factor in his quest to become a four-weight world champion. “My biggest advantage is my mental strength, my mindset,” Stevenson asserted in an interview with DAZN. “My mind is stronger than his. I’ve got a lot of heart. I’m built with heart; that’s who I am.”
Stevenson’s last bout saw him retain his WBC lightweight world title with a commanding points win over William Zepeda in July. Meanwhile, Lopez has secured six consecutive victories since his sole professional loss to George Kambosos Jr in 2021. Despite Lopez’s impressive performance in retaining his WBO super lightweight crown against Arnold Barboza Jr last May, Stevenson claims to have identified numerous weaknesses in Lopez’s game that he plans to exploit.
“He’s got a lot of weaknesses,” Stevenson remarked. “He’s a very good fighter, but I see a lot of weaknesses. He’s not going to correct them overnight. It’s going to be the same Teo that we’ve seen a thousand times before.”
The victor of Saturday’s clash could potentially face a unification bout with the newly-crowned WBC champion, Dalton Smith, who is expected to be in attendance. Smith, who recently knocked out Subriel Matias in Brooklyn, has expressed his interest in facing the winner. “I will probably be over there watching it,” the 28-year-old Smith told Sky Sports. “It is a great fight, and obviously, I have my eyes on that as a potential opponent for those guys next. It is going to be good, and it is going to be a great fight. I am favouring Shakur on points.”
As the boxing world eagerly awaits this high-stakes showdown, Stevenson’s mental edge could very well be the key to his victory and a step closer to becoming a four-weight world champion.
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