The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was electric during the final press conference ahead of “The Ring 6,” DAZN’s sold-out PPV event headlined by Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KO), defending his Ring Magazine and WBO junior welterweight titles against undefeated Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KO) on Saturday, January 31. Stevenson will be fighting for his fourth world title in a fourth weight class in what promises to be a clash of the generations.

The card is stacked: Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KO) vs. Jamaine Ortiz (20-2, 10 KO) in the second fight, WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KO) vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams (19-1, 13 KO), Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (16-0, 9 KO) fought with Carlos Castro (30-3, 14 KO) for the vacant WBC featherweight belt, Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller (26-1, 22 KO) with Kingsley “Black Lion” Ibeh (16-2, 14 KO) and the pioneer of Saudi Arabia Ziyad “Zizo” Almaayouf (7-0, 1 KO) against Kevin Castillo (5-2).

Fighters and promoters expressed emotion, confidence and respect, with MSG’s sold-out crowd and historic venue raising the stakes even further.

Teofimo Lopez
Lopez exuded peaceful confidence. “The preparation was very good,” he said, praising assistant coach Stacy McKinley and his father for honing his skills. “The amount of knowledge provided… was really impressive. I feel very good, I’m excited, determined.” He announced that this was the best he felt going into the fight and added, “More importantly, my soul feels great, like a beacon.”

Manager Keith Connolly compared it to Lopez’s upset of Vasily Lomachenko in 2020: “We’re in the exact same situation five, six years ago… He came in and kicked him in the ass. He’ll do it again. Shakur is a great fighter, but he’s never fought someone like Teofimo Lopez.”

Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson kept his emotions in check, choosing business over personal competition. “It’s all business… I’m 100 percent focused.” On Lopez as a challenge: “We’ll see. He’s a good player.”

He emphasized the importance of including children in his Fresh Jersey community in the fight: “It all means… giving them motivation” by seeing someone who has been in a similar situation succeed.

James Prince praised Stevenson’s uniqueness: “He’s one of a kind… He took aspects of Andre Ward and Roy Jones and yet incorporated them into his own mix. Now he’s Shakur Stevenson.”

Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller
Miller’s return to MSG after 19 years caused deep emotions. “The last time I fought in this gym was 19 years ago… Coming back home to fight in front of my fans and family means a lot to me.” Sober and focused – “I don’t party, smoke or drink, I keep my mind acute” – he recalled past setbacks since 2019, but expressed gratitude to promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for the opportunity. Notably, this will be the first time his children will see him fight live.

On opponent Kingsley Ibeh: “Am I afraid of him? Hell no… I’m from Brooklyn… I’m going to fight.” He promised aggression: “Come Saturday night, I’ll make Kingsley’s head spin… I’m horny and I’m going to kick some ass.”

Other special moments
Keyshawn Davis promised an ending: “I don’t want to leave this in the judges’ hands… The amazing Keyshawn Davis is back.” Jamaine Ortiz, determined after close defeats, said: “I learned a lot, especially not to leave it to the judges… I will show everyone that it all has its levels.”

Carlos Adames was matter-of-fact: “I’m looking forward to doing what I’ve always done.” Challenger Austin Williams brims with confidence and artistry: “I’m here to be the most cerebral fighter… I’m ready to give the fans the greatest performance they’ve ever seen.”

Brooklyn’s Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington called Brownsville’s free shot at the title a “dream come true”: “This is my moment… I have to do it.” Carlos Castro replied: “I’m here to beat the best… Bruce Carrington gets in my way and I realize there are levels to it all.”

Ziyad “Zizo” Almaayouf, Saudi Arabia’s first professional boxer, spoke of historic pride: “Gotham has Batman… Saudi Arabia has Zizo. On Saturday night I will make history” as the first Saudi to fight at MSG.

Eddie Hearn celebrated the sold-out event: “This place is special… the whole boxing world will be in Fresh York.” He praised both main event fighters for chasing greatness over easier paydays and highlighted personal stories, from Miller’s redemption to Williams’ journey.

The press conference highlighted an evening of high stakes, hometown pride and legacy-defining moments, and Lopez-Stevenson was ready to deliver a state-of-the-art classic in the Mecca of boxing.