In a saga straight out of a digital-age romance, Shakur Stevenson is publicly pleading with Teofimo Lopez to accept a fight, but it appears he’s been left on read. Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) is holding onto a glimmer of hope that Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) will agree to a bout, a desperate pursuit that has fans and pundits scratching their heads.
Stevenson has publicly stated that his “Plan B” is to fight Lamont Roach if Lopez “doesn’t accept the fight.” However, it’s becoming painfully obvious to everyone watching that this fight is simply not happening. Lopez has gone silent, a clear signal that he has zero interest.
The bizarre hope comes from a single, short-lived piece of trash talk from Lopez himself. In a moment of bravado, Teofimo wrote on X, “After I whoop on Shakur Stevenson and make him cry like the lil b**** he is .. I am calling out Ryan Garcia.” This single line was enough to get Shakur’s hopes up, leading him to believe the fight was a real possibility. This reveals a surprising level of desperation from Stevenson, who is clearly chasing a massive payday against Lopez.
Lamont was getting ready for the rematch so he gone have a in between fight and then fight me top of the year.. But it’s only if Teo doesn’t accept the fight tho https://t.co/yQR0EItWcO
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 21, 2025
Teofimo’s silent treatment is a masterclass in non-verbal communication. While he may have initially been open to the idea, a recent boxing match seems to have served as a wake-up call.
The William Zepeda Warning
In a fight on July 12th, William Zepeda dominated Stevenson with a relentless barrage of high-volume punches, outlanding him in every single round. Anyone watching, including this writer who was ringside, saw Zepeda win decisively. But when the scores were announced—118-110, 118-110, and 119-109—it was a stunning upset, a decision that appeared to be for a completely different fight. Zepeda, despite a statistical clinic, was robbed.
This outcome has likely made Lopez realize that getting a decision win against Shakur is nearly impossible. His only path to victory would be a knockout, a high-risk gamble. Can you blame him for giving Shakur the cold shoulder after seeing that?
As for Stevenson’s “Plan B,” a fight against Lamont Roach lacks the star power to attract mainstream attention or the interest of big-money promoters like Turki Alalshikh. It’s a “Jerry vs. Jerry” type of fight that won’t excite fans.
For Shakur to get the big-money fights he craves, he needs to look for opponents who can generate hype, such as:
- Andy Cruz
- Ernesto Mercado
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Jadier Herrera
- Abdullah Mason
- Floyd Schofield
