Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson predictions including Terence Crawford and Ryan Garcia ahead of mega-fight

Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson’s monumental showdown is one of boxing’s biggest fights of the year.

The supremely talented pair will duel at 140lbs in a gripping and compelling clash in the ‘Mecca of Boxing’ Madison Square Garden this weekend.

Matchroom Boxing

Lopez is the current king of the division and has already made three defences of his title, and has a series of stellar victories already to his name.

But it will be a seriously stern test against Stevenson, a pound-for-pound leading star, who will step up to the weight for the first time in his career.

The American is considered one of the most technically gifted fighters in the sport right now, and has even faced comparisons to boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

It promises to be a mouth-watering contest, particularly for the boxing purist, with the two seen as a pair of the best practitioners of the sweet science.

Proceedings are set to be fascinating, and it also looks set to be a mega event, given the two operators also possess two of the biggest names on US soil and globally.

Some of the industry’s biggest names have had their say, and talkSPORT have picked some of the leading predictions.

Who is backing Teofimo Lopez?

Conor Benn

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Benn told Boxing King Media: “We’ll see what Shakur’s made of. I feel like I’d back Teo. Yeah.”

Shawn Porter

He explained: “I think there are more avenues to victory for Teofimo Lopez than there is for Shakur.

“Because Shakur is so set in who he is, and I absolutely love it, straight up and down. But it is going to be so hard to pull him out of who he is.

“On the other side of that is, Teo can go the defensive route.

“He can go to [a style] where he wants you to at least walk towards him and Shakur will plod forward, very defensively.

“Teo also has the ability to be pouncy, in a situation where he can come out with big right hands, big leaping left hooks and leaping in with punches.”

O’Shaquie Foster

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He said after sparring Stevenson: “So I just think that when you meet certain guys, that’s why I say the style, you meet certain guys you’re going to have to rely on both of them hands.

“And I just think it’s a bad style match-up for him. I see Teofimo beating him.”

James Toney

He said: “Another great fight. Teo’s too big for him. Both fighters have extraordinary skills.

“It’s gonna be a great fight as long as it lasts. I see Teo stopping him late if it happens.

“If not Shakur runs around the ring for 12 rounds and it’ll be a boring a** fight.”

Who is backing Shakur Stevenson?

Terence Crawford

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He said: “I don’t know it all, but what I do know is Shakur Stevenson beating the f*** out of Teofimo Lopez.

Dalton Smith

He told talkSPORT: “I think it is a 50/50 fight and I’d back Stevenson on points. I’m a world champion.

“I’m eligible to go in with any of these other world champions. Possibly yeah [I’ll be there.]”

Ryan Garcia

He said on social media “Shakur [will win]. Just because Teofimo likes to fight people he can counter. With Shakur he has to chase him.

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“It’s not a good style matchup for Teofimo. If Teofimo finds a way then kudos to him.

“I don’t see Teofimo being that aggressive. He’s not very aggressive. He’s more of a natural counter-puncher but not an aggressive fighter, but he’ll go get you if he has to.”

Andre Ward

Ward explained: “I think that’s going to be the difference in this fight is Shakur’s ability to make adjustments and to have a blank canvas and to create something out of thin air and figure it out.

“And I think just that little bit of time that it takes for him to look at that outline before he starts painting again… I think that’s gonna be the difference in this fight.

“I don’t think that Lopez can create on the fly like a Shakur Stevenson does.”