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Only Lomachenko-era Teofimo beats Shakur

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7 months ago

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Teofimo Lopez lands a right hand on Vasily Lomachenko during their lightweight title fight on October 17, 2020, inside The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Lomachenko Lopez version

It’s not too slow for him to employ the high-pressure style he used against Loma five years ago. This approach will make it challenging for Stevenson to differentiate him with his approach to Mayweather’s striking.

If Teo can mentally and physically return to the form he was in that night against Loma, Russell believes he will beat Stevenson.

He hasn’t fought with this approach in any of Lopez’s seven fights since the fight with Lomachenko. That doesn’t mean he didn’t look good in those fights. It’s more that he lacks the aggressiveness he showed against Lomachenko.

The fight in Kambosos changed Teo

It appears that Lopez’s loss to George Kambosos Jr. in 2021, she changed him, turning him more into a boxer who only gets into fights every now and then. Plus, not having the size 140 advantage he enjoyed at 135 took something away from him.

“I’m going with Teo. But Teo can’t fight Shakur. That’s the only way he’ll win,” Gary told Antuanne Russell MillCity Boxing about the fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson.

Lopez’s form against Lomachenko would be a problem for Shakur as he would chase him around the ring if he decided to return to the style he showed against Edwin De Los Santos in 2023.

Although Shakur has quick feet, he is not as brisk as the fighters Teofimo has fought over the last five years. Both Jamaine Ortiz and Lomachenko had quicker feet and more offensive tools than Stevenson.

Shakur thrives on distance and control

“If Teo fights like he did against Lomachenko, I will make him win. Besides, Shakur will put him on the rope,” Antuanne said. “She’ll put him on a leash and walk him like a dog. She’ll time him. She’ll find her range with him and tear him to pieces.”

Lopez will see what happens to fighters who decide to box with Shakur. He will know he can’t do that and will focus on the one approach that caused Stevenson’s problems. This is pressure.

Why Shakur’s Power doesn’t scare anyone

“The one thing that no one can take away from Shakur,” Russell said. “He knows his distance. He has good punch selection, and a lot of people underestimate his strength. Shakur will beat him without using his hands. I feel that Shakur’s punching power is naturally lower than Teofimo Lopez’s.”

Stevenson punches well to the body, but didn’t show any strength when punching to the head. His KO rate of 45.83% indicates a lack of pop in his shots. I don’t think it’s going to change overnight and turn him into retro Julian Jackson. Shakur’s power was resistant to change. It doesn’t look realistic that he’s going to make improvements that will allow him to stop Lopez with his shots.

“IQ-wise, I feel like it’s a match. IQ is 50/50. What puts Teofimo Lopez just above is his athleticism. Shakur is a simpleton. In layman’s terms, he sticks to the rules. If you do an irresponsible thing, he’ll pay you for it,” Russell said.

Shakur throws single shots at a ponderous speed. Interestingly, some fans believe that he is brisk, but this is not true. Has average speed. His success in the professional rankings comes from a combination of defense, footwork and matchmaking.

Shakur’s promoters at Top Rank and Matchroom never put him up against an opponent that would test him and possibly beat him. There are plenty of fighters at 135 and 140 pounds who would have an excellent chance to beat Stevenson if his promoters decided to throw him into the fight. Antuanna is one of them.

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Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

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17 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

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Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

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19 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Published

19 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.

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