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Stevenson takes over Lopez’s title and becomes four-division champion

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Shakur Stevenson humiliated and humiliated Teofimo Lopez with his boxing version of the perfect match on Saturday night, winning the WBO junior welterweight title by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in Fresh York.

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KO) promised to make the Lopez fight look simple, and he did, with all three judges scoring the fight 119-109. In the process, Stevenson became the fastest fighter to become a four-division champion.

“I took it apart and did what I had to do,” Stevenson said. “That’s the art of boxing – hit and don’t get hit, and pick guys apart. I told you all I’m the best fighter in the world and I stand by that.”

Stevenson, 28, has long felt he was overlooked and disrespected despite the accolades he received as an Olympic silver medalist and three-division champion. He saw peers like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis and Lopez receive acclaim while feeling criticized for a safety-first style that rarely led to losing innings. In July, he was forced into the co-main event against William Zepeda to prove he could put up electrifying fights.

Before Saturday night, Stevenson told ESPN that his performance would force the world to accept and respect him.

That’s exactly what he did, holding a master class against another pound-for-pound fighter in a matchup between two newborn boxers in their prime.

Stevenson, who entered the fight as the No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter in ESPN’s rankings, moved up to the 140-pound weight class after winning the featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight world titles, losing what was considered a size advantage to Lopez, who was ranked No. 10 in the pound-for-pound rankings, according to ESPN.

Lopez (22-2, 18 KO) entered the fight as the lineal junior welterweight champion, defeating former undisputed champion Josh Taylor and future star Vasily Lomachenko. He promised to crack the code of Stevenson’s brilliant defense and berated his opponent in the build-up to the fight.

None of this mattered because Lopez had difficulty committing any significant crime against Stevenson, who stood right in front of him and performed the autopsy with relative ease.

With a powerful push and quick reflexes, Stevenson tamed the aggressive Lopez from the first bell. Instead of moving around the ring, Stevenson kept the court in the middle, tearing apart Lopez and demoralizing him as the rounds went on. Lopez’s father and trainer were confused and instead of offering helpful instructions, they began urging his son to continue practicing.

“I saw it on tape,” Stevenson said. “I watched him and I knew my jab would kill him. I told everyone that before the fight. I said they would say that after that fight I got the best jab in boxing because I saw where he was delicate and I took advantage of it.

“I felt like I was a stronger fighter. I felt like I was faster. I was smarter and smarter.”

Lopez was desperate for answers, but she never stopped trying. He was down 78-23 after six rounds, but he continued to throw punches, and every time Stevenson got into the action, the bell rang repeatedly as he charged in, and his left eye was cut open.

By the end of the fight, Stevenson’s brilliance had increased statistically. He landed 165 of 372 punches (44%) compared to Lopez’s 72 of 468 (15%).

“Every dog ​​has his day,” a humble Lopez said after the defeat. “So congratulations to Shakur.”

Following the victory, Stevenson challenged Conor Benn, who last fought Chris Eubank Jr. in November at 160 pounds. While the move up to 140 pounds was another weight bump for Stevenson, it looks like he’s not done taking risks in the face of the toughest challenges as he looks to be recognized as the best fighter in the world.

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Boxing

Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan

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Canelo Alvarez addresses his retirement plan

Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.

Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.

More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.

Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.

But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.

“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.

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The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome

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Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.

The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.

Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.

Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.

The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.

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Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser

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Image: Dan Rafael: IBF President Felt Disrespected By Belt Display At Opetaia Presser

Jai Opetai’s fight against Brandon Glanton is still moving forward, but veteran reporter Dan Rafael says the issue that caused the IBF title to be removed from the fight had to do with how the belt was presented during fight week. Rafael reported that IBF president Daryl Peoples believes that the organization’s title was shown as secondary to Zuffa’s belt during a recent press conference.

This explanation makes the argument about the presentation rather than the match itself. Rafael wrote that Peoples objected to the way the belts were arranged at the press, with Zuffa’s belt posed for the cameras while Opetaia held the IBF title rather than raising it in the usual manner towards the audience.


“The IBF withdrew sanctions and sent the overseer home after the journalist because IBF President Daryl Peoples felt disrespected by the belt being placed secondary to Zuffa’s,” Rafael wrote on social media.

Fight week photos reflect the arrangement Rafael described. At the final press conference on Friday, Zuffa’s belt was centered and Opetaia held the red IBF title at his side. Saturday’s weigh-in had a similar effect. Zuffa’s belt was raised over the fighters on the restart, while Opetaia continued to hold the IBF Championship on his chest. This sequence appears to have irritated the sanctioning authority.

Rafael also reported another unusual detail related to the fight. Even after the IBF dropped its sanctions, Opetai and Glanton were still expected to adhere to IBF weight rules ahead of the morning fight. Rafael said that no competitor can weigh more than ten pounds over the cruiserweight weight limit of 200.

Rafael later noticed that the IBF belt continued to appear in promotion for the event. Opetaia held the title at media events and discussed it publicly, and graphics broadcast by Zuffa covered the championship. Rafael’s account points to the dispute that raged over Zuffa’s title belt relationship during press events.

Opetaia entered fight week as the IBF cruiserweight champion after regaining the belt in a rematch victory over Mairis Briedis in 2024. The Australian continues to wear the physical belt while promoting his fight against Glanton. Once he steps into the ring and takes part in an unsanctioned fight, the IBF Championship will no longer move forward with him.

The fight remains scheduled, and reports from Rafael indicate that the split was due to belt politics and presentations at public events. The episode shows how rigorously sanctioning bodies guard the status of their championships as modern promoters introduce competitive titles.

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