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The Lopez vs. Stevenson chess match carries PPV risks

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Image: Gary Russell Says Teofimo Can Beat Shakur With Constant Pressure

The January 31 fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson has been confirmed and scheduled for the DAZN Pay-Per-View event. What’s still uncertain is how the styles will interact when the bell rings. Both players are known for their control, positioning and tempo management. It has been suggested, but not proven, whether any of them are willing to accept short-term risks to prevent the fight from narrowing into long periods of caution. On a paid platform, the balance between control and engagement remains unresolved.

Control will lead to conflict or restriction

The main problem is the overlapping styles. Both Lopez and Stevenson prefer to call the shots rather than react. None of them relied on consistent volume as a foundation. When two fighters with similar priorities meet, the result may be technical clarity or mutual restraint. The direction of this fight depends less on skill and more on intention, which cannot be confirmed in advance.


Lopez’s last fight against Arnold Barboza Jr., which took place in Times Square in May, remains part of the discussion. The victory was controlled and methodical, but the urgency was constrained. Movement, spacing and resets defined most of the action. The reaction in the ring was audible during quieter stretches and reflected dissatisfaction rather than confusion.

Some observers have noted that Lopez has adopted patterns often associated with Stevenson, including recurrent withdrawals and a preference for resets over constant pressure. This approach worked well on the scorecards, but the crowd’s reaction helped him in the process.

Stevenson’s correction remains incomplete

Stevenson’s defensive structure was established. Lands cleanly, exits safely and limits return fire. This approach produced consistent results, with ongoing discussion of the results. Now, competing in a higher league, Stevenson is still getting back into physical shape. How he handles constant pressure for twelve rounds at this weight is yet to be determined.

Lopez has the speed and strength to change rhythm if he decides to go close. It is unclear whether he will decide to do so. If Stevenson controls the range and Lopez accepts space, the fight could result in single shots and repeated resets.

The fight, taking place on pay-per-view, carries additional expectations. Precision itself is often perceived differently when price is involved. Careful fighting can still produce a clear winner, but when commitment is constrained, dissatisfaction usually sets in.

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Categories Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez

Last update: 01/12/2026

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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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