Shakur Stevenson made it look ridiculously easy as he scored a resounding win to claim the title. He dominated Teofimo Lopez to win a title in a fourth weight class, taking a unanimous decision on Saturday night to capture the WBO junior welterweight belt.
“This is the art of boxing,” Stevenson said. “Hit, don’t get hit and pick guys apart.”
Stevenson (25-0) may have mastered that combination as well as anyone in boxing right now.
The southpaw, who has been unbeaten, was in control the whole way, hardly getting hit in the early rounds and opening a cut over Lopez’s left eye later in the bout. All three judges scored the fight 119-109, giving just one round to Lopez.
“I picked him apart, I did what I was supposed to do,” Stevenson said.
Lopez (22-2) tried to press the action, but too often all that accomplished was leaving himself open to Stevenson’s counter punches.
The current WBC lightweight champion added the 140-pound belt that Lopez held and will be tough to beat no matter which weight class he opts to remain in. Stevenson traded words in the ring afterward with Conor Benn, the British fighter who has largely fought as a welterweight.
Turki Alalshikh, whose Ring Magazine promoted the event, tweeted that the attendance of 21,324 was a record for a boxing event at the current Madison Square Garden, opened in 1968.
The crowd that roared for both local fighters in the minutes before the bout didn’t have many chances to get loud once it began. It was clear early that Stevenson’s style, effective but not especially exciting, was going to control the fight.
