The all-American showdown takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, January 31, with the former challenging for the latter's WBO and Ring Magazine super-lightweight belt.

It marks a contest that sees two of the country's premier boxing talents go head-to-head in an informal kick-off for what will be a huge year for the sweet science Stateside. 

Hearn claims Stevenson is underrated in achievements and ability

Outside of the hardcore boxing circles, there is a chance Stevenson is still a relatively unknown name. 

But this is through no fault of his own. Stevenson has often struggled to find the dance partner which would catapult him into the minds of casual boxing fans despite winning world titles in three separate weight classes and possessing a special boxing ability. 

This is an opinion held by Hearn who looked ahead to the January 31 main event. 

"I think Shakur is massively underrated in terms of his achievements and ability," Hearn told Matchroom Boxing. "Everyone in boxing knows how good Shakur is. He is pound-for-pound top five in terms of quality but look at the achievements of the young man.

"At 28 years of age, he’s already a three-division world champion, this fight is to become a four-division world champion."

However, this may change for Stevenson when he faces Lopez who is not afraid to make a song and dance whenever he fights. This sometimes can backfire with poor performances, the unanimous decision win over Arnold Barboza Jr. in Times Square last year being a prime example. 

Hearn on the other hand is expecting Lopez to rise to the occasion with all legacy attached to the clash against Stevenson. 

"Teofimo always rises to the occasion, sometimes you see a lacklustre performance when he’s not motivated and when there’s no legacy on the line.

"This is different, this is a sold-out Madison Square Garden between two of the elite fighters of our generation."

Lopez vs. Stevenson winner will seize the initiative at MSG

When it comes to picking a winner for this fight, it is proving difficult. 

Both men are in their primes and rarely show any openings for their opponents to exploit. The question will be whether Lopez and Stevenson, who are not afraid to trade verbal jabs, can keep their emotions in check. 

When asked to give his thoughts on Lopez-Stevenson, Hearn is expecting the fight to be a cagey affair and believes the winner will be the fighter who seizes the initiative under the MSG bright lights. 

"I think it’s a fight that could be a little bit of a chess match early on," Hearn said. "You have two guys who are reactive, two guys who are super sharp, two guys who like to feint and set traps, and two guys with tremendous IQ and footwork.

"That lends itself to a fight that could be quite nip and tuck. The fight could be won by the person who takes it by the scruff of the neck, sometimes it can be a fight with very close rounds.

"Neither fighter will want to be reckless and make mistakes because they know they will get punished."

Watch López vs. Stevenson only on DAZN PPV

Teofimo López and Shakur Stevenson headline the Ring VI fight night in New York, exclusively on DAZN PPV, on January 31, 2026.

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