Commentator Chris Mannix states that Shakur Stevenson will be fighting on a Saudi card in January, possibly against Teofimo Lopez or another opponent. Mannix says Teofimo’s representatives are going to “Cobble” the fight together with Shakur for early 2026.
(Credit: Golden Boy)
Turki Alalshikh’s Interest
“Shakur is in a pretty good place right now because he’s in a very good place with Turki Alalshikh. When I talk about Shakur Stevenson, it sure sounds that Turki and the Saudi officials that are involved in boxing are reallly interested in him,” said commentator Chris Mannix to DAZN about WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
Shakur fought on two of Turki’s cards in 2025, July 12th against William Zepeda in Queens, and February 22nd against Josh Padley. Stevenson’s fights weren’t exciting to watch for fans, but he got the victories to hold onto his WBC lightweight title.
Teofimo is a dangerous fight for Shakur. If this is the guy that Turki negotiates for Stevenson, it’s going to require that he use all the tricks in his arsenal to come out victorious. Lopez is a fighter who can box and punch. As we saw in his fight against Arnold Barboza Jr on May 3rd, he can mimic Shakur’s fighting style and still punch with huge power.
Negotiation Roadblocks
“There’s been a lot of talk about Shakur against Teofimo. That’s something both guys have been tweeting about over the last four or five days. Teofimo has not been very easy to deal with for the Saudis,” said Mannix. “He initially rejected what I’m told was a $6 million offer to fight Shakur. I think now, he’s willing to take that, and that’s why he’s tweeting up a storm over the last couple of days.
“I think it’s unclear if Turki Alalshikh and the Saudis are willing to come back and accept an offer. My understanding is Teofimo’s reps have been working hard over the last few days to try to cobble this fight back together,” said Mannix.
Lopez has hinted on social media today that he’s going to be fighting Shakur next. Lopez said, “More like Spike vs. Tom.”
Teofimo’s last fight against the defensive Arnold Barboza Jr. on May 3, 2025, was an excellent bout to prepare him for Shakur. Barboza Jr. is a low-output, hard-to-hit fighter similar to Stevenson, and Lopez won a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110.
Shakur’s Lucrative Saudi Fight
“It’ll be for January. That’s the penciled-in date for Shakur and Teofimo. Either way, Shakur is going to get a fight in January on a Saudi card, make a pile of money, and be in a high-profile fight,” said Mannix.
Chris didn’t mention what plan B is for Shakur to fight if the Saudis are unable to negotiate or are not interested in the Teofimo fight. Stevenson has mentioned wanting to fight Lamont Roach if he can’t get the Lopez fight. That’s not a match that would resonate with fans, as it would be two defensive fighters with below-average power.
Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) has a 40% KO rate, and he would be going up against Stevenson with his 45.83% KO rate. With his retro Mayweather style, Shakur would be interesting to watch against these fighters if Turki can’t land the Teofimo fight:
- Andy Cruz
- Abdullah Mason
- Ernesto Mercado
- Floyd Schofield
If the fight does get made, Turki and the Saudis could lose interest in Shakur quickly if he’s beaten soundly by Teofimo Lopez. Stevenson’s value will plummet if he’s blown out by Teo, particularly if he’s knocked out.
Shakur’s last performance against William Zepeda on July 12, 2025, in Queens, New York, showed his vulnerability. He got outworked and outlanded by Zepeda in that fight. That was against a non-puncher. Lopez hits harder than Zepeda and has the kind of boxing skills that would expose Stevenson.
Shakur hasn’t faced any of the dangerous punchers since moving up to 135, aside from Edwin De Los Santos on November 16, 2023, and he did not perform well in the fight. Stevenson moved all night and was booed by the fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Stevenson won the fight by a 12-round unanimous decision, but many fans felt that it was a closer fight than the scores indicated. The scores were 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112.
Last Updated on 08/28/2025
Read the full article here