NEW YORK — Shakur Stevenson left no doubt about who controls the chessboard at 140 pounds. In a masterclass performance Saturday night, Stevenson outboxed and outthought Teofimo Lopez over 12 rounds to win a lopsided unanimous decision in the main event of The Ring 6 at a sold-out Madison Square Garden. Judges Max DeLuca, Eric Marlinski, and Steve Weisfeld all scored the bout 119-109, as Stevenson swept 11 of 12 rounds and handed Lopez his first loss since 2021.
“I did what I was supposed to do,” Stevenson said afterward to Chris Mannix on DAZN. “This is the art of boxing. Hit, don’t get hit, and pick guys apart. I told y’all I’m the best fighter on the planet.”
A Fourth-Division Champion
With the win, Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) captured The Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles, becoming a world champion in a fourth weight class. The 28-year-old Newark native also holds the WBC lightweight belt and left the door open to a return to 135 pounds if the right opportunities don’t materialize at 140.
The victory also snapped Lopez’s six-fight winning streak. Entering the bout, Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) was 6-0 at junior welterweight and hadn’t tasted defeat since George Kambosos Jr. upset him in November 2021 also at Madison Square Garden.
Tactical Supremacy
From the opening bell, Stevenson controlled distance with a sharp jab, elite footwork, and disciplined defense. Lopez landed sporadically early, including a left hook late in the first round, but Stevenson quickly established command and never relinquished it.
Stevenson’s straight left repeatedly found its mark to the body in the fifth. Upstairs in the sixth and seventh steadily breaking Lopez down. By the later rounds, blood poured from a cut around Lopez’s left eye, a visible sign of the punishment absorbed.
“I been seeing it on tape,” Stevenson said. “I knew my jab was gonna kill him. I seen what he was weak at, and I capitalized off it.”
Lopez Runs Out of Answers
As the fight wore on, Lopez struggled to make meaningful adjustments. Stevenson maintained full control through the eighth, ninth, and 10th rounds, dictating pace and range while Lopez appeared resigned to losing a wide decision.
Stevenson briefly pushed for a stoppage late. Telling his corner before the 11th that he wanted to finish. But Lopez’s toughness carried him to the final bell despite being battered and bloodied. The only moment of controversy came in the second round when Stevenson slipped and went down. Correctly ruled a trip by referee Harvey Dock.
Pound-for-Pound Case Closed
This performance wasn’t the crowd-pleasing firefight Stevenson delivered against William Zepeda last July but against a far more accomplished opponent, it was a far more definitive statement.
Against Lopez, Stevenson didn’t chase excitement. He chased perfection and found it. At Madison Square Garden, on boxing’s biggest stage, Shakur Stevenson didn’t just win titles he asserted his place among the sport’s elite.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
