Connect with us

Boxing

Lopez hesitates to fight Shakur, eyes Pacquiao Clash

Published

on

Image: Teofimo Lopez Claims Turki Alalshikh Fired Him

Shakur Stevenson’s hand problems make it a risky fight for Teofimo Lopez, which is scheduled to take place now in January 2026. Lopez is interested in possibly fighting Manny Pacquiao in December if his fight with Shakur is unsuccessful.

Mr. Glass strikes again

WBO welterweight champion Teofimo (22-1, 13 KO) is understandably afraid of committing to the fight with Stevenson, but unfortunately withdrew due to a hand injury, just like during the fight scheduled for October 12, 2024 with Joe Cordina. Shakur suffered an injury to his right hand, which caused him to withdraw on September 11.

“The next gigantic fight we’re talking about is two in particular. If one doesn’t come through, we’ll have another one. So December 13th is probably [against] Manny Pacquiao. And then Shakur Stevenson in January 2026.” – said Teofimo Lopez Untold stories.

Teofimo was already forced to wait to fight Shakur because the Newark, Recent Jersey native needed time for his hands to heal.

If Teo had his way, he would fight Shakur before the end of 2025. He can’t do that due to Stevenson’s dainty hands, which need time to recover from his last fight against William Zepeda last summer on July 12.

There’s no certainty that Shakur will make it through camp without another hand failure. This wouldn’t be such a gigantic deal for Lopez if he was in his early 20s and had enough time to burn and wasn’t making the millions he does now.

Analyst Olly Campbell’s perspective: Teofimo can’t wait forever

“Acquisition – Teofimo is too valuable a fighter to invest six to eight months of his career waiting for the injury-prone “Mr. Healing Shakur Glass. Dealing with the unknown makes it even more stressful. There is simply no telling if Stevenson will make it to the January 2026 fight without another hand injury.”

The safer option for Teo is to wash his hands of Shakur, abandon him as a failure due to his glass hands, and focus on more reliable fighters. Fighting Pacquiao on December 13 would be perfect for him. If not him, then a unification fight with IBF 140-pound champion Richardson Hitchins if he doesn’t overestimate himself again.

Last update: 20/10/2025

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Hall of Fame champion claims he would be the one to beat Terence Crawford: ‘I’m going to win’

Published

on

Hall of Fame champion says he would have been the man to beat Terence Crawford: “I’m going to win”

The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.

Many consider “Bud” to be one of the greatest welterweight champions of all time, considering his size undisputed triumph over Errol Spence Jr in 2023

He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.

Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.

After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.

However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.

Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.

Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.

It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.

“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”

While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Robeisy Ramirez signed with Raizd Boxing after leaving Free Agency

Published

on

Image: Major Companies Failed To Sign Robeisy Ramirez

Raizd announced the deal on Instagram on Monday, posting: “Official: Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramirez signs with RAIZD BOXING. World-class addition. Former WBO World Featherweight Champion. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. Welcome to the team, Robeisy.”

For a startup that is still building its name, this is a robust impulse. For everyone else, it encourages questions. There has been no evident move from Zuffa Boxing, Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions or other major teams that often pursue recognizable talent.

When a two-time Gold Medalist hits the open market and the Massive Four don’t pull the trigger. Raizd Boxing is basically a ghost ship right now. They are so modern that they haven’t even held their first event yet.

As for why the giants have stayed away, it probably comes down to a combination of time, shelf life and the ongoing business changes many of these companies are making.

At 126 pounds, 32 is on the older side. Promoters are notoriously wary of small-time fighters who have just had a career-changing break. Perhaps they would prefer to wait and see if he has anything left before signing him to an high-priced multi-fight contract.

While Dana White is finally taking action, Zuffa is aggressively targeting younger, buzz-worthy talent like Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins. Ramirez is 32 years aged and had a brutal knockout loss to Rafael Espinoza in December. Zuffa could see him as a veteran of damaged goods rather than a fundamental piece of their launch.

Ramirez may not have the same shine he had when he fled Cuba or when he beat Shakur Stevenson in the amateurs, but fighters with that kind of experience rarely hit the open market.

His recent form likely played a role. Ramirez is 14-3 with nine knockouts and has lost two of his last three fights, with both losses coming to Rafael Espinoza, including a stoppage in the rematch. At 32 years aged, he is no longer a long-term project that can be slowly developed.

Still, there is a clear advantage if handled properly. Ramirez remains a talented southpaw with the pedigree, experience and enough reputational value to quickly become relevant again at featherweight or above. If it combines wins, larger promoters may regret letting startup Raizd make the first move.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Tim Bradley firmly predicts KO in Conor Benn vs. Ryan Garcia fight

Published

on

Tim Bradley makes emphatic KO prediction for Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia

Hall of Famer Tim Bradley believes the welterweight clash between Conor Benn and WBC world champion Ryan Garcia will end decisively.

The two are in talks that could happen later this year, and Garcia also mentioned the possibility of a rematch with WBA world champion Rolando Romero.

In their first meeting in May 2025, Romero won a unanimous decision after defeating his fighter in the second round.

However, Garcia has since secured the WBC 147-pound title after dethroning Mario Barrios whom he dropped and passed unanimously in February.

This marks the 27-year-old’s first victory since 2023, when he edged Oscar Duarte in the eighth round before his controversial fight with Devin Haney.

Despite a majority decision advantage over Haney, that result was declared a no-contest in April 2024 after “King Ry” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine.

Benn also failed a 2022 drug test ahead of his canceled fight against Chris Eubank Jr, whom he ultimately defeated in a middleweight rematch last November.

This followed a points defeat to Eubank in April 2025, although earlier this month Benn remained in the win column, ahead of Regis Prograis, who subsequently announced his retirement.

However, despite his last fight at 150 pounds, the 29-year-old now wants to capitalize on his No. 1 ranking in the WBC and fight Garcia.

I’m talking to ESNEWSformer two-division world champion Bradley gave Benn little more than a prayer against Garcia.

“Ryan knocks him out.”

As the top contender for the WBC welterweight title, Benn is expected to be ordered to fight Garcia in the not-too-distant future, even if ongoing negotiations fail.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending