Lopez’s Controversial Comments On Shakur Stevenson – ‘He Wanted To Go To The Hotel Roof And Jump Off’
Teofimo Lopez controversially claimed that Shakur Stevenson had a mental breakdown following his defeat at the National Golden Gloves in Las Vegas in 2015.
Lopez made the comments when he was asked about whether he would consider fighting the WBC Lightweight Champion. The Takeover currently fights at 140 pounds and holds the WBO title. He secured the belt after beating the ex-Undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor.
Lopez has defended that belt, beating Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett in his last fight. The Takeover has been calling for a mega-fight with Terence Crawford. Crawford currently fights at 154 pounds and won the WBA belt after beating Israil Madrimov in his last fight. Bud is trying to secure a lucrative fight with Canelo Alvarez, who fights at super middleweight.
Lopez’s Next Steps
The prospect of a fight has received a mixed response from the Mexican. Canelo initially stated that he would get no credit for beating a much smaller fighter, although he has since been more open to it. If Lopez cannot secure that fight, he has other options available. One of those was against Shakur. Stevenson is currently out injured after he injured his hand while preparing for the Joe Cordina fight.
Shakur is expected to come back at some point next year, with his primary target being William Zepeda.
The aim is to secure a fight with Gervonta Davis for a unification. If that does not transpire, Lopez was mentioned as one of those names. The Takeover is not interested in the fight, stating that he does not want to give Shakur his first loss for fear that he could cause him to have a mental breakdown.
Lopez On Shakur
“I ain’t trying to give that man his 1st loss. I’ll let somebody else take that. I’ve seen Shakur lose in the amateurs. This one time in Vegas, National Golden Gloves 2015, Shakur lost to Ruben Villa, and then he wanted to go to the hotel’s rooftop and jump off. I ain’t trying to have actual blood in my hands,” Lopez said
Nevertheless, those comments have been seen as a way for Lopez to avoid facing Stevenson. He also has other options at 140 pounds. He could pursue a fight with Devin Haney. They were rivals at 135 pounds when Lopez was the unified champion. But once Lopez suffered the first loss of his career against George Kambosos Jr., The Takeover decided to move up to 140 pounds rather than pursuing a rematch. Haney stepped in to face Kambosos and beat him to become the Undisputed Lightweight Champion.
There is also another option of taking a fight with Ryan Garcia. Lopez has previously stated that he turned down a fight because he was only offered $1.5 million. Garcia has previously stated that he wants to face him after Lopez made controversial comments about Ryan selling his soul. The comments also brought up Ryan’s mother, who has breast cancer. Garcia is currently banned from boxing for one year after failing VADA tests for Ostarine following the Devin Haney bout. He will be allowed to box from April 2025 onwards, meaning a fight could occur. But the prospects of a Lopez-Shakur fight are very slim.
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
