By: Sean Crose
In a surprise to no one the Shakur Stevenson- Teofimo Lopez junior welterweight fight is officially going to go down at New York’s Madison Square Garden. When the fight was announced, the location of the match had yet to be given, which pretty much meant it was down to either Madison Square Garden or the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. It appears the promotion has decided to stick with tradition as Madison Square Garden was known as the heartbeat of professional boxing for years. Indeed it was reportedly even created – at least the first version of it was – to accommodate Jack Dempsey.
This is an instance where the location of a fight makes all the sense in the world. Lopez, the World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion, is from Brooklyn. The undefeated Stevenson on the other gloved hand, hails from nearby Newark, New Jersey. It’s a northeastern fight between two northeasterners. What’s more, the fight will showcase different styles of boxing clashing at the highest level. Stevenson is about as scientific as a scientific fighter comes, while Lopez on the other hand, is known for his thunderous power… at least he was before moving up to junior welterweight. He’s also skilled enough enough to have defeated none other than Vasyl Lomachenko several years ago.
After a ho-hum 2025, it will be good to see 2026 kickoff with a major fight between two of the best in the business. The bout which will go down on January 31st is about as big as they come (not counting the rare super fight that actually captures attention outside of boxing’s fanbase). Lopez for instance, is one of the more colorful personalities in a very colorful sport. Stevenson might not be showy but he’s had fans wondering for a while now how he would do against somebody who is more or less an equal. People are about to find out very soon. Without doubt the Garden should be sold out for this event.
In an era, where some boxers aren’t really interested in proving themselves or even fighting all that much. It’s refreshing to see men like Lopez and Stevenson being willing to put it all on the line. This is also an error where a single loss can ruin one’s reputation. That’s a bit crazy but it’s unfortunately true. Both Lopez and Stevens fun are well aware of this but are going to take the risk of facing off against each other anyway. It’s what boxing is all about. This is without doubt, nearly a perfect fight for MSG.
