Shakur Stevenson wouldn’t reveal if he’ll fight Teofimo Lopez the same way he did his last opponent, William Zepeda.
Ryan Garcia asked Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) if he’ll attempt to fight WBC light welterweight champion Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) like he did the volume puncher Zepeda last July. Garcia said he doesn’t believe that Shakur will fight in the same way.
Shakur’s ‘Holes in Teo’ Claim
“Honestly, he makes a lot of mistakes. He’s a great fighter, but I see a lot of holes in his game,” said Shakur Stevenson to the InsideRingShow, talking about Teofimo Lopez. “I can’t tell y’all all the holes. As I said, he’s a great fighter, but I’m better than him.”
The main thing that Teofimo does wrong nowadays is copying Shakur’s fighting style. He’s got it down pat, with three-step pull-back, the retreat, and the potshot style. When Lopez was fighting with aggression in his early days at lightweight, he was a much better fighter. But since he adopted Shakur’s fighting style, he’s gone downhill. Shakur is projecting by saying he sees “holes” in Lopez’s game.
“Shakur, I do have you beating him. He can’t f*** with you,” said Ryan Garcia, praising Stevenson for some reason. “I got to say one thing. Teofimo does have that rock on him. He has that one-punch power.
Ryan Probes Strategy Switch
“I see that you fought a little different with [William] Zepeda. Do you think you’re going to fight that same way, or is it going to be a little different? I say a little differently,” said Ryan.
Against Zepeda, who isn’t a big puncher, Shakur fought with his back against the ropes, blocking shots, getting hit a lot, and countering occasionally. It worked in his favor, as he won a wide 12-round unanimous decision.
Stevenson was dropped in the fifth, but the referee was asleep at the wheel and failed to call it. The judges gave it to Shakur by wide decisions of 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109. It appeared closer.
Shakur Won’t Reveal Gameplan
“You fight everybody different, bro. You can’t fight guys the same way,” said Stevenson.
