Connect with us

Boxing

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

Published

3 months ago

on

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.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Boxing

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

Published

1 hour ago

on

April 25, 2026

By

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.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Terence Crawford

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

Continue Reading

Boxing

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

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 25, 2026

By

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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Canelo Camp announces Resendiz-Munguia as the winner next

Published

5 hours ago

on

April 25, 2026

By

Image: Canelo Alvarez Camp Signals Resendiz-Munguia Winner as Next Move

Eddy Reynoso may have said more than he intended when discussing Canelo Alvarez’s next move, as his comments pointed less to Christian Mbilli and more to the winner of next week’s Jaime Munguia-Armando Resendiz fight

Canelo is expected to return to Riyadh for the season in September after recovering from surgery on his left elbow. Reynoso told Ring magazine that the plan remains super middleweight and named several possible opponents, including Mbilli. However, the strongest language in the interview was the conversation about the May 2 fight between Munguia and Resendiz for the WBA title.


“This time it’s Munguia against Resendiz in a pan-Mexico fight on a pan-Mexico card,” Reynoso told Ring Magazine, discussing Cinco de Mayo weekend. “This is going to be an amazing fight and we are prepared to win. This fight is going to be so good that it will steal the show. They have the ingredients to distract from the main event.”

This was unique because Reynoso trains Munguia and has a direct stake in the outcome, but it also sounded like early preparation for what comes next. If Munguia wins, a rematch with Canelo will be an straightforward sell to the Mexican crowd and an straightforward one to build to. If Resendiz wins, he will arrive with the belt and fresh momentum.

After his recent victory over Lester Martinez, Reynoso mentioned Mbilli as a “massive challenge,” but the tone was different. This sounded like one option on the list as the Munguia-Resendiz fight gained full popularity.

Canelo’s team has also ruled out other routes. Reynoso said the David Benavidez fight is now over and suggested there is little chance of seeing it again. Staying at 168 pounds also reduces the likelihood of a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

This leaves less room than it initially seemed. When camps start praising one fight with such a hard month ahead of time, it’s usually worth paying attention to.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 13:22

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