It’s the big one this weekend in New York between Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez and Teddy Atlas has released his preview.
When it comes to fight break downs there is few as qualified as coach and pundit Teddy Atlas from New York.
This Saturday the fight happens on his doorstep.
A short time ago on his podcast ‘The Fight With Teddy Atlas’ — Atlas broke it down:
Teddy Atlas sets the scene this weekend
“Yeah. So, we’re going to move from the 135-pound fight we just recapped to next week’s monster fight at 140 pounds. That’s going to be at Madison Square Garden, and that’s going to be Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez. What a card. I can’t wait for this one.”
Teddy Atlas on Shakur’s recent performance and perception shift:
“Well, if they were down on Teo, they were up as high as you could be on Shakur in his last fight vs. [opponent, likely Zepeda or similar]. No question. He finally did what people wanted. This young, talented, brilliant talent—brilliant defensive fighter, brilliant guy at controlling range, Olympic silver medalist, quick hands, technically solid. He finally satisfied the critics, and he mixed offense with the defense. He sat down, and instead of moving all the time and punching on the move or on the draw-back-off traps—you come in five inches, he goes back seven and he counters the crap out of you—he stood his ground and he punched, and he still got the better of it with the sweet science, being defensively responsible but without having to be less entertaining. He was more entertaining. He satisfied people. They said, ‘That’s what we wanted in Shakur,’ and they got it. Now he’s a big favorite—or a good favorite. You know the lines better than me, but he’s a good favorite.”
Teddy Atlas on Teofimo as the starting point and mental state:
“It starts for me with Teofimo. Where it starts is: Where is he mentally? He’s up and down. You know, his father, the whole thing—his father’s been with him the whole career. Listen, love him, hate him, his father has been part of getting him to these world titles. He’s been part of it. Whatever. He has been up and down mentally. Where’s he going to be if he’s right? If he’s stable, if he’s in a good place—he seemed to be in a very good place when he fought Lomachenko. If he’s in a good place, I think this could be the first time that Shakur Stevenson has somebody who can match him with athletic ability. Pure ability, pure speed, quickness, quick twitch, athletic ability that could match him and could actually turn the tables in a way where he could force Shakur out of his comfort zone—to maybe do some things he doesn’t want to do, that he’s not as comfortable doing, initiating in certain spots. I think Teofimo has the speed, the legs, the quickness, and he’s got pop too with it, where he could possibly—I know this sounds ridiculous—but he could possibly match and maybe even—he would have to outmatch him to win—he’d have to be that good, but maybe match Shakur’s boxing and pull off what would be an upset.”
Teddy Atlas on the fight’s intrigue and intangibles:
“I think it’s going to be a very, very, very interesting fight with a lot of X factors, a lot of intangibles—you know, a lot of stuff floating around mentally, you know, everything. Um, I think it’s—it could be an intriguing fight. I don’t know if it’ll be a good fight. I don’t know if it’ll be a scintillating fight. I don’t know about that, but I do think it could be interesting. That make sense?”
A good look at things and a proper one from the always passionate Atlas on boxing.
Never one to mince his words.
Fire is burning between both Lopez and Stevenson’s teams as well clearly here in this confrontation.
Roll on Saturday.
