Teofimo and Shakur Press Conference

Photo - Matchroom Boxing

WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York and Newark, New Jersey's Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) held their press conference for their January 31 fight at Madison Square Garden to discuss their upcoming showdown. Lopez vs. Stevenson will be live on DAZN PPV

Teofimo Lopez

On what he has been writing in his notebook during the press conference…

“I'm just doing some self-work. That's all it is. These are two of the guys that they say are the best of the best, about to lace it up here in beautiful Madison Square Garden, the mecca of boxing. January 31st. I'm happy, I'm grateful, thankful, blessed.”

On why this is the right fight for him…

“I'll tell you why. He's saying this, he's saying that, and the third, but in reality, man, this guy is the best, and we're here to face the best. That's just what it is. Forget the rest. That's all it is. That's what it takes. We define the odds. We're against all odds.”

On Shakur being his former stablemate…

“There are no friends in boxing. This is what I am trying to attest to. When they presented the fight with Devin [Haney], a lot of things came in my way, but it all happened in perfect alignment. Devin doesn’t have motion, but Shakur has motion. He did his thing. He looked outstanding against William Zepeda at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. And this is what you guys need. This is what boxing needs. This is why we're here. We're here to take over. Now we have this lightweight coming up to super lightweight, to come over here and dethrone the champ. And this is why this is the fight. And this is why this fight is happening in early 2026.”

On what he will present on fight night…

“All of the things that I learned at junior welterweight/super lightweight. Everything that I learned has brought me to this moment here and now. Every fighter that I faced, in this beautiful weight class, all the things that I learned from every fighter that I faced, to now, will be on display against Shakur Stevenson. And that is what I'm looking forward to more than anything else. We’ve got to get through him first. That's all it is. Put him in front of me, and we will beat him. And when it's all said and done, my hand will be raised once again, and they will say the takeover.”

Shakur Stevenson

On if he plans to fight with the same style as the William Zepeda fight…

“I will be a hundred times better come fight night against Teofimo Lopez than I was against Zepeda. A thousand times better, faster, sharper, stronger, mentally more on point, and I can't wait.”

On the weaknesses in Teofimo’s game…

“A lot of the weaknesses are mental. I think it's more mental than anything again. I'm going to expose it.”

On what he wants to prove in this fight…

“That I'm the best. I want to show the world that I'm the best. After this fight, I want to be considered a top five, pound-for-pound fighter in a sport – and I can't wait to show it.”

On what Teofimo Lopez is in for on January 31st…

“I just don’t think he realizes how good I am. I think come fight night, he's going to realize that I'm gonna take it to another level that he has never seen before. So, if he's expecting the [Vasyl] Lomachenko, or the Josh Taylor fight to happen, it won't be that type of fight.”

On whether the weight matters in this fight, going up the extra 5lbs…

“Honestly, no. I feel like Teo's not that much bigger than me. I think he's kind of a little muscular, but that doesn’t mean anything. Muscle doesn't win fights. I just can't wait to beat him and shut him up. Teo is not on this level. Teo is a high-level fighter, but he's not on my level. I'm an elite-level fighter, and come January 31st, I'm going to show it.”

On why he is on a different level than Teofimo…

“Because I've seen him at his best. against Taylor, against Lomachenko, he was at his very best. That was the best he could do. I don't think he can do anything better than that. What I’ve seen from that fight, I feel like I am way better than those guys.”

Mike Borao, Co-Manager, Teofimo Lopez.

On what he liked about this fight with Shakur Stevenson…

“There’s only one best fighter in the world, and I think that the winner of this fight very likely will be the best fighter in the world. Both these fighters are in their twenties – this is a historic fight, in a historic arena…Teofimo always talks about legacy and becoming part of history, and this is a big part of that.”

Teofimo Lopez Sr.

On what he liked about this fight with Shakur Stevenson…

“This is going to be a technical fight. Let’s see what Shakur shows up with – I hope it’s the Shakur that fought William Zepeda. We’re ready for anything. Teofimo Lopez brings excitement to the sport every time he comes to fight. He’s [Teofimo] the best when he’s the underdog. He also never lost to a southpaw in his career…the amateurs, over 200 fights, and we’ve never lost to a southpaw. This guy [Shakur] won’t be that one.”

On what Shakur will bring out of his son…

“I hope he brings the best because that’s what we want. We do this for the fans, so we want a great and competitive fight. Ever since my son started boxing, I told him, ‘This is entertainment and an entertainment business. We’re here to entertain.’ I think Shakur will bring it, so I’m hoping it’s a great fight and I want everyone to see it.”

On how difficult Shakur is to prepare for…

“I see the weakness, that’s what I do. We broke the code with [Vasyl] Lomachenko, something nobody has ever done. We didn't let him get comfortable in there…eight rounds and he didn’t know what to do. We did the same thing with Josh Taylor, and we're going to do the same thing with Shakur.”

Josh Dubin, Co-Manager, Shakur Stevenson

On why this fight was the right fight against Teofimo Lopez…

“Because he'll beat anyone that’s put in front of him…period. I just don't think there is anyone that has anything near what he has in terms of talent, grit, and drive. So, if he tells us he can do it, it's on. We can count on one hand all the fighters we've managed over the years, and there are only very few that are cut from the same cloth as Shakur. He’ll say he wants whoever is the best, and you believe him when he says it. So, if he believes it, we believe it, and we're just thrilled and excited.”

On what Shakur showed in his fight against William Zepeda…

“He didn't show me anything that I didn't already know. He showed me that he's the same guy he was at 17 years old, and he can do this any way he wants to. He just maybe confirmed to himself that if he has to lay on the inside and do it, he's going to do it that way, but whatever style gets put in front of him, he can pick and choose how he wants to deal with it. So to me, he just proved that he's a once-in-a-generation fighter. You're looking at one of the best to ever lace it up, and if you see the way he works outside of this, it all makes a lot of sense.”

His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh

On the upcoming fight and what’s to come in 2026…

“Do you need to know the result of this fight? In May, there is a big fight – if it is Shakur, then there will be a big fight for Shakur, if it is Teofimo, then there is a big fight for Teo. This is an important fight. This fight is the first step of a crazy map of boxing next year and at the beginning of ‘27. It will not be an easy fight.”

Rick Reeno, Chief Operating Officer of Ring Magazine

On The Ring’s recent boxing schedule and expectations for The Ring 6…

“We took the show on the road for the last couple of events: London, Riyadh, and as you mentioned, we have The Ring V coming up in a couple of weeks in Riyadh. Now, we’re returning to New York City for our third time and our first event at the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. For such an iconic venue, we wanted an iconic fight, and we got it. Teofimo Lopez will be defending his Ring and WBO World Titles against undefeated three division champion – who is the challenger – Shakur Stevenson. We've had fireworks over our last couple of events, and I expect nothing less than fireworks in this fight. These two guys, Teofimo and Shakur, are the future of this sport. They're two young guys, well accomplished in their own respective rights, and they're laying it all on the line in this fight, and only one of them is going to walk away with the Ring Title that night. Tickets go on sale Thursday [December 11], and I would advise you to get those as soon as you can because they're going to go quickly. If you can't be there live, watch it live and exclusively on DAZN.”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Promoter

On boxing history at MSG and what to expect on January 31…

“This place is special. When this fight is talked about, both Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez need a huge amount of credit for making this happen. Both of the guys are the respective kings of the division: Teofimo Lopez, the number one guy at 140 and Shakur, the number one guy at 135. When I heard about this fight, I didn't expect it to happen, and you know the work that His Excellency's done along with Ring Magazine to make this fight quite sensational, but the icing on the cake is to see the fight at Madison Square Garden. This is the absolute mecca of boxing, and speaking to the incredible team at the garden, the pre-sale numbers are through the roof – this place will be full to the rafters on January 31st. You've got Newark against Brooklyn, but more importantly, you have two generational great fighters. Teofimo Lopez, a guy that beat the man at 135 up at 140 but this guy to my right [Shakur Stevenson] when you talk about chasing greatness, 28 years of age and trying to become a four division world champion on January 31st. Look at the names in history that have done it..Roy Jones Jr., Pernell Whitaker, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, one [Juan] Manuel Márquez. Greatness only gets appreciated over time – let's acknowledge what we're about to see on January 31st. This is two guys in their absolute prime and we should be very, very lucky. In a sport that's dominated by money, these fighters deserve every penny they get, they’re chasing legacy, and that's so motivating to be involved in an event like this. The undercard will be announced in due course. Just take it in and enjoy what we’re about to see – two great fighters in their prime, putting it all on the line for their legacy in this sport. I can’t wait for January 31st, and of course, as always, live and exclusive on the global home of boxing, DAZN.”