Shakur Stevenson’s hand problems makes him a risky fight for Teofimo Lopez to lock into now for January 2026. Lopez is interested in possibly fighting Manny Pacquiao in December if his bout with Shakur doesn’t pan out.
Mr. Glass Strikes Again
WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo (22-1, 13 KOs) is understandably apprehensive about committing himself to a fight against Stevenson, only to have him pull out with a hand injury like he did for his October 12, 2024 scheduled fight against Joe Cordina. Shakur suffered a right hand injury, causing him to pull out on September 11.
“Next big fight that we’re speaking on there’s two in particular. If one doesn’t go through, we have another fight going on. So December 13th is possibly [against] Manny Pacquiao. And then Shakur Stevenson in January of 2026,” said Teofimo Lopez on Stories Untold.
Teofimo has already been made to wait for the fight against Shakur due to the Newark, New Jersey native needing time to allow his hands to heal.
If Teo had it his way, he would be fighting Shakur before the end of 2025. He can’t do that because of Stevenson’s fragile hands needing time to heal from his last fight against William Zepeda last summer on July 12.
There’s no way of knowing for sure if Shakur will make it through camp without having another hand breakdown. It wouldn’t be as much of a big deal for Lopez if he were in his early 20s with time to burn, and not making the millions that he is now.
Olly Campbell’s Analyst Perspective: Teofimo Can’t Wait Forever
‘The Takeover- Teofimo is too valuable of a fighter to invest six to eight months of his career, waiting on a injury-prone ‘Mr. Glass’ Shakur to heal. What makes it even more nerve-wracking is dealing with the unknown. You just don’t know if Stevenson will make it to the fight in January 2026 without suffering another physical breakdown with his hands.
The safer bet for Teo is to wash his hands of Shakur, give up on him as a lost cause due to his glass hands, and focus on more reliable fighters. The fight against Pacquiao on Deccember 13th would be the perfect one for him. If not him, a unification clash against IBF 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins if he doesn’t price himself out again.
Since 2014, Olly Campbell has brought readers clear ringside perspective and a steady voice on boxing’s biggest nights.
Last Updated on 10/20/2025
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