The odds may gradually shift as the fight date nears. Yet, with only 10 days separating him from a momentous clash, Teofimo Lopez steps into a fight where he’s not the favorite. As the boxing world gears up for the year’s first marquee fight, odds heavily favor the challenger, Shakur Stevenson. Still, Lopez can upset the apple cart if he follows Hall of Fame inductee Antonio Tarver‘s words.

Lopez and Stevenson headline a Ring-DAZN card at the historic Madison Square Garden on January 31. The fight follows months of back-and-forth that saw the two champions exchanging barbs and taunts on social media. Coming off a unanimous win over Arnold Barboza on the May 2 Fatal Fury card, Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO and Ring light welterweight titles. Meanwhile, Shakur Stevenson delivered one of 2025’s most definitive performances when he defeated lightweight powerhouse William Zepeda on a Golden Boy-Ring event.

The formula for Teofimo Lopez to shock Shakur Stevenson

During an interview with Tarver, Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas wondered what it would take for Teofimo Lopez to claim a historic win. While wins over Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor remain the highlights of his career, Lopez has often come under scrutiny for inconsistent performances.

When Villegas asked, “If we get the best version of Teo, like the Teo that showed up for those fights, does that Teo beat the best Shakur?” Tarver said Lopez has no choice but to bring back that version of himself. “I think that’s the only chance he got to really be his ultra self,” Tarver said. “You know, doing all the things that make him Teofimo Lopez.”

Getting into the technical nitty-gritty, Tarver explained where Lopez could hold an edge over Stevenson. “The footwork could be a major advantage for him…being able to get inside,” he said. Having no particular style that defines him, Lopez often follows his gut, Tarver explained. The Brooklyn-born fighter of Honduran heritage is well known for taking risks inside the ring.

So if Lopez is to win the fight, Tarver concluded, he will have to stop Stevenson. “He’s (Lopez) going to have to hit him with something,” he said while expressing concerns about Stevenson’s hand durability.

Lopez must put the past behind him to rediscover his old form

Similar thoughts emerged when former world champion Mikey Garcia, the brother of trainer Robert Garcia, spoke. Garcia wants to see the version of Lopez who defeated the likes of Lomachenko and Taylor. “I want to see what Teofimo shows up. Sometimes it’s Teofimo, the great fighter who beat Lomachenko, who beat Taylor. But we’ve also seen him on off nights!” he said.

The concerns over Lopez’s prospects largely stem from the underwhelming performances that followed his loss to George Kambosos Jr. Soon after that defeat, Lopez rebounded with a knockout win over Pedro Campa. Yet the questionable ending to the Sandor Martin fight raised further doubts about his form.

Six months later, Lopez defeated Josh Taylor, a former undisputed champion. But that proved to be the last performance in which he showcased his sublime skills. Bouts against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett made him the butt of frequent jokes until a win over Barboza salvaged his reputation. Now, he badly needs to shake off the ghosts of those underperformances to beat a boxer of Shakur Stevenson‘s caliber.