Shakur Stevenson dominates Teofimo Lopez in punch-perfect masterclass to reach new career milestone

Shakur Stevenson delivered a dominant masterclass to dethrone Teofimo Lopez and become a four-weight world champion.

Lopez and Stevenson met the most monumental fight right now in US boxing at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

The former was staking his 140lbs world title against pound-for-pound star Stevenson, who was moving up and looking to secure world gold in a fourth division.

It was an enthralling and intriguing encounter, with a bumper sell-out crowd and a huge audience around the globe tuning in as many were unable to separate the pair.

Stevenson was scintillating from the opening bell and showed the watching world why he was regarded as one of the most elite technical operators in the modern era.

The undefeated American put on a boxing clinic, a punch perfect masterclass, to control practically the entire showdown which was previously billed as tough to call.

And he barely broke a sweat or put a foot wrong, leaving Lopez stunned and with no answer to his masterful performance on the night.

The brilliant and technically elite Stevenson climbed the ropes and celebrated as he joined his friend Terence Crawford in an elite club of four weight kings.

He routed to a 119-109 victory on all of the judges’ scorecards, a total shut-out and a real statement to demand a place amongst the pound-for-pound elite.

Lopez won just one round on the tallies and ultimately was a level below the new champion, who cements his name at the top of another weight class.

Lopez vs Stevenson – how it unfolded

Lopez started the mind games before a punch was thrown, making his rival stand in front of the thousands of eyes waiting as he made his slow entrance to the ring.

The talented 140lbers started as expected in an intriguing chess-like formation, looking to work each other out with Stevenson in the southpaw stance and Lopez as an orthodox.

Matchroom Boxing

It was a split crowd with the public clearly divided as they roared when both Americans landed their first flurries early on.

Stevenson controlled the majority of the exchanges after the opening three rounds, dictating the tempo with his snapping jab which he was landing at will.

A masterful display was unfolding from the Newark native who sent Lopez off the balance in the fourth with a whipping body shot catch-and-counter.

Despite previous question marks over negativity, Stevenson was taking the fight to the champion putting his front foot forward and Lopez was struggling to lay a glove on the challenger.

In the eighth stanza, Lopez did try to show signs of love, switching to the body more and piling on the pressure in an attempt to wrestle momentum away from the composed Stevenson.

Blood trickled from the eye of ‘The Takeover’ in the ninth despite his change of tempo, and it looked to simply be a step too far with Stevenson taking control again.

Matchroom Boxing

Despite a brief and desperate fight back, Stevenson controlled proceedings until the final bell and was simply too good.

It is no wonder many are billing the victor as a future all-time great, having dismantled a fellow icon in his era with total ease.