Teofimo’s last outing against Arnold Barboza Jr. in Times Square was effective last May, but it was also incredibly careful. The crowd wanted heat, and they got a tactical stalemate. It looked to some fans that Lopez purposefully copied Shakur’s style down to the letter. He had the three feet step back style perfect, and fans at ringside weren’t pleased. One could hear the boos clearly.
Teofimo has the raw speed and thudding power to turn Shakur’s “chess match” into a dogfight, if he’s willing to get in close and stay busy. Shakur is still finding his groove at this higher weight, and we know steady, gritty pressure is exactly what makes him uncomfortable.
Shakur is the king of “hit and don’t get hit.” While he’s a defensive wizard, his style has drawn heat in the past for being a bit too clinical and low on volume.
The danger here is obvious: if Shakur dictates the distance and Teo struggles to cut off the ring, we’re looking at twelve rounds of single shots and resets. In the world of PPV, that’s a tough sell.
Boxing is fighting for every ounce of attention it can get right now. With streaming prices going up, fans aren’t in the mood to pay for a track meet. There is a silver lining! Teofimo has that explosive power that can flip a script in a heartbeat. If he stays true to his word and presses Shakur early, we’re going to see some real exchanges. Shakur is also still adjusting to the weight, meaning he might not be able to just dance his way out of trouble this time.
This fight doesn’t need to be a slugfest, but it needs to feel alive. If both guys play it safe, the fans are going to let them hear it. But if Lopez forces the issue and makes it a fight, this could be the night that proves technical boxing can still be electric.
