Boxing fans are getting a treat early in the year, with a megafight between Teofimo Lopez Jr. and Shakur Stevenson set for Saturday at New York’s historic Madison Square Garden. Lopez’s WBO and Ring junior welterweight titles will be on the line as WBC lightweight champion Stevenson moves up in weight.
Lopez started his career 16-0 and was unified lightweight champion before a shocking upset loss to George Kambosos Jr. in November 2021. Since that defeat, Lopez has rattled off six consecutive wins, on occasion barely eking out victories against fighters he was expected to handle easily, and at other times looking like the elite fighter he has the tools to be.
Follow live updates of Teofimo Lopez Jr. vs. Shakur Stevenson with our live blog
Stevenson is undefeated in his career, having been unified champion at junior lightweight before moving to lightweight, where he has successfully defended his title three times. The biggest knock on Stevenson has been a tendency to play it way too safe and put in some boring showings despite an extremely high skill level. Stevenson did his best to shake that reputation off in his most recent fight, a dominant showing against William Zepeda in which Stevenson chose to stand toe-to-toe with a dangerous opponent and won nearly every exchange.
Also on the card on Saturday, Keyshawn Davis makes his move up to junior welterweight where he takes on Jamaine Ortiz. Davis is coming off a successful run as WBC lightweight champion, but he lost his title on the scales before his scheduled fight last year against Edwin De Los Santos when he missed weight by four pounds. Plus Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington defends his WBC featherweight title against Carlos Castro.
Check out how you can watch the action on Saturday night below, but be sure to check out our staff predictions and expert picks for the main event as well.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Who wins Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson on Saturday, and which pick should you target for a huge payday? Visit SportsLine now to see Josh Nagel’s best bets for the Saturday, Jan. 31, super lightweight title bout, all from the combat sports specialist who has covered the sport for more than 20 years, and find out.
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