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Andre Ward predicts the winner of the Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson world title fight

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Andre Ward predicts a winner in Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson world title fight

Andre Ward believes the slimmest of margins could determine one of boxing’s most intriguing potential fights between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson – and that the difference may only become apparent once the fight is underway.

I keep talking The whole fight against smoke regarding the Jan. 31 fight between Lopez and Stevenson, the former two-division world champion detailed how elite skill, adaptability and decision-making under pressure can influence the outcome, but stopped compact of revealing the full undercard in advance.

Ward made it clear that this is not a superficial debate about style versus style. In fact, it sees two fighters enter the ring fully aware of what awaits them.

“I respect both of them because Teo knows it’s going to be a real fight. Shakur knows it’s going to be a real fight.”

But from there, Ward drew a telling contrast. In his opinion, Stevenson behaves with scarce inventive freedom after the bell.

“I look at Shakur as a fighter who has a blank canvas. He has the IQ. He has the experience, the athleticism and the skill set to paint any picture he wants on a blank canvas.”

Lopez, on the other hand, is seen as destructive but more tidy.

“When I look at Teofimo Lopez, he’s almost like this. He has a blank canvas, but he needs an outline of what to draw and what to paint inside the lines.”

Ward appreciated Lopez’s explosive genius, even if it came unexpectedly.

“Every once in a while he’ll deviate from what he’s got and do something nippy and you’ll think, ‘Oh, that was nippy.’”

However, the former pound-for-pound star questioned whether that creativity could be consistently invoked against elite peers.

“I don’t think he can create on the fly like Shakur Stevenson.”

That doesn’t mean Stevenson is having an simple evening. Ward emphasized that Lopez’s strength and athleticism pose significant issues.

“Shakur has to deal with explosive strength, fast-twitch muscles and the type of punches he likes to throw.”

Still, Branch believes the key difference is adaptation – especially when plans start to fall apart.

“I think the difference in this fight will be Shakur’s ability to make adjustments, have a blank canvas and create something out of lean air and come up with it.”

For Ward, that fleeting pause – the moment needed to find the next solution – could be decisive.

“And I think that moment of time that he needs to look at that outline before he starts painting again… I think that’s going to be the difference in this fight.”

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Canelo warned his path back to undisputed status would be blocked: ‘I’m standing in his way’

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Canelo warned his route back to undisputed will be blocked: “I’m in his way”

Canelo Alvarez could face some grave resistance if he tries to become a three-time undisputed 168-pound champion.

The 35-year-old hasn’t fought since last September, when he lost his four major super middleweight titles in a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford.

However, judging by his results, the Mexican is still able to compete at the world level, just not with such a great generation as Crawford.

But still, Canelo is ready to secure a world title shot in his next outingwhich is scheduled to take place on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Among the names mentioned as potential opponents is Christian Mbilli, who was elevated from “interim” to full WBC champion shortly after Crawford’s retirement.

Earlier, the Frenchman achieved a fascinating 10-round draw with Lester Martinez, who was on the Canelo-Crawford card.

As for the other 168-pound champions, there’s also Jose Armando Resendiz and Osleys Iglesias, with Hamzah Sheeraz seeking to capture the vacant WBO world title on May 23.

Standing in his way is Al Begic, whom the 26-year-old must defeat on the card in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven match before setting his sights on a fight with Canelo.

Ultimately, however, Sheeraz actually sees himself fighting the four-division world champion Ring Magazine that he can apply the WBO belt as a bargaining chip.

“I have to admit it would be nice to get Canelo. And of course it would be a lot more lucrative if I won the world title earlier.

“I’m sure his plan is to try and become undisputed [champion] again, God willing, I will become world champion on May 23. I will stand in the way of him becoming undisputed [champion].

“Maybe we will finally fight for all the belts. I feel like this fight can definitely blossom in the future.”

For an undisputed clash between Canelo and Sheeraz to take place, the pair must win their next fights well and together dethrone the remaining champions in their division.

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Mauricio Sulaiman claims that Crawford knew in advance that he would have to pay $300,000. dollars fee for WBC

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Image: Mauricio Sulaiman Says Crawford Knew $300K WBC Fee Early

Mauricio Sulaiman says Terence Crawford was aware of the WBC’s reported $300,000 penalty charge long before his undisputed fight against Canelo Alvarez last September, providing a different version of the recent dispute over the champion’s title costs

The WBC president addressed the issue during a recent interview after Crawford publicly questioned why the organization would not honor terms that he believed had been accepted by other sanctioning bodies. Sulaiman said the amount had already been communicated in advance and was not a surprise once the fight was finalized.


“He knew well in advance what the WBC estimated for this particular fight and it was supposedly 300,000. That was the upper limit,” Ring Champs said of Crawford before his fight with Canelo.

Sulaiman added that this amount is lower than the percentage the organization says it can collect under its regulations. He said the WBC capped the fee rather than applying the full rate.

The dispute became a topic of discussion after Crawford publicly responded to previous comments related to the sanctions process. Sulaiman avoided escalating the exchange, saying he did not want to personally criticize Crawford.

“I’m not going to talk bad about Crawford,” Sulaiman said.

He also said that fighters and promoters receive contracts and terms before title fights are approved, describing the process as standard practice and not something created for a single event.

“There are contracts. When you as a promoter give in and get sanctioned, there are rules,” Sulaiman said.

When a player earns tens of millions, the standard 3% suddenly becomes sedate money, and that’s when the backlash usually begins.

The comments highlight a long-standing problem in boxing, where sanction fees are often accepted during negotiations but become controversial when vast funds are involved. Huge fights usually reveal how much power the belts still carry.

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Categories Terence Crawford

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 18:31

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Errol Spence Jr.’s opponent and return date have finally been confirmed

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Errol Spence Jr’s comeback opponent and date finally confirmed

Errol Spence Jr will make his long-awaited return this summer as he faces the former world champion away.

The 36-year-old has not fought since losing his three welterweight world titles in July 2023. when he suffered a nine-round defeat to Terence Crawford during the battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Before their meeting, many suspected Spence was the top dog at 147 pounds, even after a life-threatening car accident in 2019.

He eventually recovered from the traumatic incident with back-to-back victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, but suffered an undisputed defeat against Crawford.

As a result, Spence is set to make his long-overdue move to 154 pounds before his next appearance, with Report from the boxing scene that he will face former super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu on July 25 in Australia.

It was also recently reported that Tszyu had named Jeff Fenech as head coach after he fired his training team for the second time in three fights.

This followed the Australian’s unanimous decision victory over Denis Nurja in Wollongong, Australia earlier this month, which followed an equally dominant triumph over Anthony Velazquez in December at the TikTok Entertainment Center in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old lost in the seventh round to Sebastian Fundora in July 2025 during his last meeting at world level.

Tszyu previously lost a split decision in their first meeting before finding himself facing a three-round demolition task against Bakhram Murtazaliev in 2024.

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