Lamont Roach says he expects Shakur Stevenson to defeat WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez in a fight that he doesn’t view as “too challenging” for him. Roach states that after Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) beats Lopez, he says they’ll be fighting at 135.
(Credit: Golden Boy)
He doesn’t say why he views it that way, as the leaked sparring video showed Teofimo dominating Shakur. There was a massive power imbalance. Lopez was throwing with harder shots that had Stevenson looking timid.
Roach’s Call
“I think Shakur beats Teo. It might be a little challenging. But I don’t really see it too challenging,” said Lamont Roach to Fighthype, predicting a victory for Shakur Stevenson against Teofimo Lopez if their fight happens in 2026. “I see that fight happening at 135.”
Why He Favors Shakur
It’s understandable why Roach would want Shakur to be victorious against Teofimo, as Stevenson has already said that he wants to fight him next. If that’s his reason for predicting a victory for Shakur, it’s not going to help.
Stevenson is going to have to perform. He did not look good at all in his last fight against William Zepeda, getting hit a lot, and clearly dropped in the third round, in a no-call by the referee. The scoring for that fight was dreadfully poor.
Shakur’s Zepeda Struggles
Going by that performance, you have to give Teofimo an excellent chance of defeating Shakur, and possibly knocking him out if he elects to fight in a stationary mode with his back against the ropes. It’s unlikely that Shakur will stand and fight Lopez because he hits too hard, and he’d likely get dropped or knocked out.
“I hope those options and opportunities present themselves. I’ll definitely take one of those fights to keep the boxing fans’ faith in boxing,” said Roach.
Two defensive fighters aren’t what boxing needs to maintain its faith. It would be boring for the fans if Shakur and Roach fight, as both use the same three-foot stepback approach and both throw arm punches.
It would be a chess match, and that’s not what the U.S boxing fans care to see. Maybe a small segment like those types of fights, but most Americans in Texas, California, Nevada, and Arizona like to see action. Shakur and Roach are pure boxers. So, it would be a dull fight if they were to mix it.
Better Fights for Both
A more entertaining match-up that people would like to see is Shakur or Roach fighting these guys:
Gary Antuanne Russell
Ernesto Mercado
Abdullah Mason
Andy Cruz
Raymond Muratalla
Shakur and Roach would have a lot of trouble against these types of fighters. I can’t see them beating any of them. They lack power, and they couldn’t count on outboxing them.
Jeepers Isaac has been covering boxing since 2020, bringing readers sharp ringside insights and timely analysis on the sport’s biggest moments.
