Shakur Stevenson didn’t hold back when reacting to Teofimo Lopez’s recent callout of Terence Crawford. Lopez, eager to secure a fight with the champion, took things a bit too far in Stevenson’s eyes. As someone who looks up to Crawford like an older brother, Stevenson slammed Lopez for “crossing the line” with his ‘racist’ approach.
The rising star warned that if they crossed paths again, things could get physical, hinting at an inevitable fight. Stevenson made it clear that while Lopez may be chasing big fights, there’s a level of respect that should always be maintained.
The issue here started when Lopez, during a recent podcast, went full-on racist while trying to talk trash.
“Alright then f*k you’re a monkey to me right now. F*k it, it is what it is, it’s the fight game.”
This came across Stevenson’s Twitter feed and he could not help but hit back at Lopez for his bigoted remarks.
Nah now a nigga run into u and punch ya head off cause u keep crossing a line u not supposed to cross, Sick lil dude and then begging him for a opportunity in the process ♂️ https://t.co/2uDbqwuATA
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) October 23, 2024
Crawford had called out Lopez on social media some time ago, offering him a fight if he could first beat Israil Madrimov. Crawford, fresh off his win against Madrimov, took shots at Lopez’s resume, sparking an online feud.
Lopez quickly fired back, challenging Crawford to either fight or stay quiet, even saying he’d fight him for free. This is how the whole back and forth between the two men started.
For Lopez however, the fight’s coming from a bunch of different directions.
Bob Arum on Lopez contract dispute
Teofimo Lopez’s promoter, Bob Arum, recently addressed the New Yorker’s claims that his contract with Top Rank was no longer valid, saying they “make no logical sense”. According to Arum, Lopez signed a second contract extension before his fight with Sandor Martin in December 2022, making his claims baseless.
Lopez seems to think he’s free from his Top Rank contract, hoping for bigger paydays, but Arum disagrees. He mentioned that dealing with the boxer is like “dealing with Alice in Wonderland” due to his unpredictable behavior.
Lopez’s performance in recent years hasn’t helped either, especially since his loss to George Kambosos Jr. in 2021. Despite winning some recent bouts, like those against Jamaine Ortiz and Sandor Martin, many believe he got lucky with controversial decisions.
Right now, Arum himself seems unsure whether to continue working with Lopez, as his stock has dropped significantly, making it unlikely that big names like Ryan Garcia or Devin Haney would want to fight him.
