Tim Bradley Predicts Comfortable Shakur Stevenson Win Over Teofimo Lopez

Tim Bradley is again predicting a comfortable win for Shakur Stevenson when he fights Teofimo Lopez on January 31.

Bradley says Stevenson’s movement and technical control will be too much, and that Lopez’s only path to victory is forcing Stevenson to the ropes and working the body. It is the same assessment Bradley has offered repeatedly since August. This is now at least the fifth time he has made the prediction, using nearly identical reasoning.

Bradley said he expects a distance fight and believes Stevenson will win without serious trouble. He did not identify any weaknesses in Stevenson’s game, nor did he explain how Lopez might realistically change the shape of the fight beyond general pressure.

That confidence has drawn pushback. Stevenson’s recent performances have raised questions that Bradley has not addressed. Against William Zepeda, Stevenson appeared slower with his hands and absorbed sustained body work. He also failed to separate himself clearly against Josh Padley and Artem Harutyunyan, fights that did little to reinforce the idea of dominance.

Bradley suggested Stevenson will use movement to drain Lopez and control the pace. If that approach materialises, the reaction inside Madison Square Garden could be mixed. New York crowds have historically shown little patience for long, low-action fights built around lateral movement.

Stevenson’s bout with Edwin De Los Santos remains a recent reference point. That fight relied heavily on mobility and avoidance, and it was met with audible frustration from the crowd. A similar performance against Lopez would likely produce the same response.

Lopez, for his part, has consistently said he expects Stevenson to engage more than he did in that fight. Whether that proves realistic is unclear. Stevenson has tended to default to safety once he establishes a lead.

Bradley has not adjusted his stance despite those warning signs. Whether that confidence is justified will be tested on January 31. At this point, the prediction is familiar. The unanswered questions are not.