Teofimo Lopez Jr. didn't hold back his thoughts on Shakur Stevenson after Stevenson's successful WBC lightweight title defense against Artem Harutyunyan.
There has been a history of verbal exchanges between Lopez and Stevenson, with their war of words continuing last week. Stevenson had criticized Lopez for facing Claggett, who has seven losses on his record. In response, Lopez downplayed Stevenson's win over Harutyunyan, pointing out the lack of excitement and the opponent's less remarkable record.
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“Ain’t nobody watching that shit. What did [Harutyunyan] have, like 12 wins?” Lopez remarked to reporters. He also pointed out that it was Stevenson’s last fight with Top Rank, adding, “good riddance.” Lopez critiqued Stevenson for not finishing Harutyunyan, emphasizing that if Stevenson couldn’t finish the job, he shouldn’t criticize others. “They say I was fighting a nobody but he fought a nobody and couldn’t finish the job. Don’t talk shit unless you know how to back it up.”
Stevenson had turned down a five-fight, $15 million deal with Top Rank, but Lopez felt Stevenson didn’t deserve those guaranteed minimum purses. “Do what they give me, $2 million – that’s what his value is at,” Lopez stated, suggesting that Stevenson’s worth should be on par with his own. He acknowledged Stevenson’s management for their strategy but maintained, “I’m like Italian clothing. They pay me great value.”
Lopez has already returned to training at the gym in preparation for a potential fight in September.
Image Credit: Sky Sports