A fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson has been rumoured in recent days.
Lopez is the current WBO super-lightweight champion having previously been unified world champion at lightweight, while Stevenson holds the WBC belt at 135lbs, the third weight division he has claimed gold after success at featherweight and super-featherweight.
In recent days, Lopez and Stevenson have been involved in a back and forth on social media, where it was revealed that the pair have supposedly agreed to a fight with one another in January.
One man who has now weighed in on the potential match-up is two-weight world champion Tim Bradley, who broke down on his YouTube channel how he would see fight playing out.
“Teo does some things in there that are totally against the grain, but he’s so athletic and so quick that he can get away with it. Sometimes he’ll cross his arms with a cross guard defence and block a jab with the wrong hand. The dude is so creative and that can throw a fighter off.
“But that laser focus of Shakur Stevenson, that is going to be the icing on the cake if they were to fight. Shakur depends on timing, reflexes, pattern recognition, limited exposure inside that ring, whereas Teo uses his athleticism, his innovation, his creativity inside that ring.
“I don’t think he comes with a game plan. They might have an idea of what they want to do, but for the most part Teo is figuring it out as he’s going. Shakur is constantly taking away your best shot, taking away your position. He’s making sure that he’s not giving up no defence or offence. What a smart fighter.”
Bradley then finished by revealing who he would back if the bout does happen.
“It’s a damn good fight man. I want to see it, I hope it’s real. I want to see Teo in there with a guy that can outthink him. Shakur hasn’t got the athleticism or explosiveness like Teo, but Shakur knows how to follow a plan, and I think that’s a major difference in the fight.
“He takes away whatever you’ve got going on and whatever you think you’re trying to do…. I’m going with Shakur Stevenson. He’s going to beat Teofimo Lopez.”
Lopez appears to be a hot commodity in the sport at the moment, as along with a potential Stevenson clash, another reigning world champion has offered ‘The Takeover’ a unification clash.
