From the opening round, Stevenson controlled space with his jab and footwork. Lopez circled, feinted, and waited, but rarely committed. The single shots Teofimo chose to throw were easy reads for Stevenson, who stepped back, reset, and returned fire before Lopez could build any follow-up. The rhythm never changed.
Lopez had shown against William Zepeda that he could press and take risks. None of that appeared here. Instead, he fought in bursts, often one punch at a time, and allowed Stevenson to dictate when exchanges happened. When Teofimo did try to move forward, Stevenson slid out of range and resumed jabbing. It produced long stretches where Stevenson landed cleanly, and Teofimo offered little response.
The middle rounds followed the same pattern. Lopez switched stances and tried to add pressure, but Stevenson stayed composed and continued to pick him apart. Stevenson’s timing was sharp, his defense tight, and his counters landed with regularity. Lopez landed occasional body shots, but they came without volume and without risk.
Frustration showed. Lopez lunged at times, reached with punches, and even drew attention for a headbutt in one round. None of it changed the flow of the fight. Stevenson never looked rushed or uncomfortable. He fought at his own pace, often stepping just far enough back to make Lopez miss before touching him again with the jab or a short counter.
The late rounds offered no shift. Stevenson kept control, Teofimo kept trying to find an opening, and the gap on the scorecards only grew. By the championship rounds, the outcome was no longer in doubt. The only question was how wide the decision would be.
The judges answered that clearly.
Shakur improves to 25-0 and becomes a world champion at a third weight class. The win was clinical rather than dramatic, but it underlined the same point Stevenson has been making for years. If an opponent cannot force him out of his comfort zone, the fight will look like this.
For Lopez, now 22-2, the loss was damaging. This was a fight meant to test Stevenson. Instead, it exposed how limited Lopez’s offense becomes when he hesitates. He never imposed himself, never took sustained risks, and never gave Stevenson a reason to change his approach.
The bout had star power and stakes. What it lacked was tension. Stevenson made sure of that, and by the end, Lopez looked less beaten than neutralized.
