A blockbuster showdown with true pound-for-pound implications is officially set. Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez Jr. will headline The Ring 6 on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, streaming globally on DAZN. Before the promotional tour launches with Wednesday’s press conference, both champions sat down with Inside The Ring to discuss one of boxing’s most anticipated matchups.
Stevenson Says Lopez Looked “On Point” and That’s Why He Wanted the Fight
Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), the WBC lightweight champion and Ring Magazine’s No. 1 fighter at 135, revealed that Lopez’s recent form pushed him toward the challenge.
“I thought Teo looked good in his last fight,” Stevenson said, referencing Lopez’s unanimous-decision win over Arnold Barboza Jr.
“Once I saw how on point he was, it made me get up for the challenge. I reached out to the people I needed to, and made this fight happen.”
Stevenson now moves up to 140 pounds to face Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) the WBO and Ring junior welterweight champion—in what many expect to be a tactical, high-level chess match.
“Bad Styles for Each Other”: Stevenson Breaks Down the Matchup
Both fighters view the other as a difficult stylistic puzzle.
“We’re both bad styles for each other,” Stevenson said. “He’s not going to win coming forward… He’s going to try and sit back and bring me to him. His style is a bad matchup for me and my style is a bad matchup for him.”
Stevenson, widely regarded as one of the most complete technicians in the sport, emphasized that execution not hype will determine the winner.
“It’s about who comes in on their A-game, who’s focused, who’s willing to do whatever it takes.”
Stevenson Promises a New Look at 140: “I Can Do Everything”
Coming off a dominant points win over William Zepeda in July, Stevenson says the Lopez fight will require a completely different performance.
“Zepeda was a volume puncher… When I fight Teo, I’m going to have to fight differently.
I have so many things in my arsenal. I can do everything needed to come out victorious.”
And despite Lopez’s pedigree which includes victories over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor—Stevenson sees flaws he plans to exploit.
“He’s a great fighter but he makes a lot of mistakes. I see a lot of holes in his game. I am better than him.”
The “Four Kings” Snub Still Motivates Stevenson
The original “Four Kings” conversation Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, and Ryan Garcia excluded Stevenson when it began five years ago. Even though he was a featherweight then, Stevenson says he never forgot the slight.
“It fueled me a lot. I can’t stop thinking about that time. Guys looked past me and said I wasn’t this good.”
A win over Lopez would crown Stevenson a four-division world champion—something none of the “kings” have accomplished.
“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon… I’m going to be the last one at the end of the race. I’m charged up.”
A Legacy Fight for Both Men
For Lopez, this fight is a chance to reaffirm his status at 140 pounds against one of the sport’s slickest operators. For Stevenson, it is an opportunity to erase any doubt about his place in boxing’s hierarchy.
Two champions. Two elite technicians. Two fighters who believe they’re the best in the world. On January 31, only one will prove it.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
