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Former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez 16-1 (12) has heaped praise on unified super featherweight champion Shakur ‘Fearless’ Stevenson 18-0 (9) following his unanimous decision victory over Oscar Valdez 30-1 (22) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old Stevenson from Newark, New Jersey added the WBC belt to his previously acquired WBO belt with a 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109 victory.
“Great performance,” Lopez said to FightHype. “Shakur really did his thing. Both guys did a hell of a job and did a great camp. Congratulations to Canelo’s team and congratulations to Shakur’s team. Tonight was Shakur Stevenson’s night.”
Southpaw Stevenson walked Valdez onto a shot in the sixth-round that saw the 31-year-old Mexican hit the canvas.
“Just off balance, but he got him still and he caught him when he needed to,” Lopez said. “The best man won tonight and that was Shakur Stevenson. He did what he had to do and outboxed him.”
Former WBO super featherweight champion Jamel Herring, who lost his belt to Stevenson by 10th round knockout last October, offered his assessment of the fight.
“Once he sees a subtle movement, he’s gone, he’s out,” Herring said to FightHubTV.
“Oscar Valdez said Shakur wasn’t there in front of him, but he really stayed in front of him the whole night, but he basically controlled the distance.
“[His power is] respectable. I still got the scars here to prove it from the fight.
“He’s got power. He’s not the biggest puncher; he’ll tell you that himself, but it’s respectable power. You’ve got to give him his credit.”
Lopez lost his lightweight world titles to Australian underdog George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos Jr 20-0 (10) last October when he was outpointed by the 28-year-old at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.
He has since flagged a move up in weight where the current undisputed champion is Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor 19-0 (13) but the 31-year-old Scotsman has already suggested he will move up in weight himself.
Lopez is expecting to be back in the ring in the northern summer.
“In July,” Lopez said when asked when he will be back in action. “I want you guys to bite your names and stuff.
“We’re talking about Taylor and stuff, but we keep that in the works. I want you guys to want me back and need me back. So we’re going to get it back.”
Lopez’s lone conqueror Kambosos will be back in the ring on June 6 when he takes on Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney 27-0 (15) at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
The chances of Lopez finding a world title shot at junior welterweight coming off a loss seems slim at best. The WBO rates him at number four behind Liam Paro, Jose Carlos Ramirez and Jack Catterall. The WBA ranks him at number eight. The WBC has him listed at number six. The IBF doesn’t rank him at all.
The upshot of this is that if Taylor moves up in weight, there are many more ahead of Lopez who will be offered the opportunity to challenge for one of the four vacant titles.
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