Oscar De La Hoya shares against the grain Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson prediction

Oscar De La Hoya is backing the underdog as the January superfight looms

Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez are set to clash on January 31 in Madison Square Garden, New York. 

Lopez (22-1, 13 KO’s) currently holds the WBO title, with Stevenson hoping to snatch the belt for himself, becoming a four-division world champion. 

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KO’s) has been a slight favourite up in the lead-up, with many fans and fighters - including Andre Ward - believing that the American’s creativity and ring IQ make him a hard man to outwork and outsmart.

However, Lopez is not to be snuffed at, ‘The Takover’ boasts incredible victories over the likes of Vasiliy Lomachenko and Josh Taylor that have seen him regarded as the crème de la crème at 140 lbs. 

As a result, former world-champion turned promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, believes that Lopez may be the man end Stevenson's unbeaten reign of terror.

“Teo’s a hell of a fighter. I love Teo, but I [also] love Shakur. [Stevenson’s] style is almost impossible to break. But if there’s a fighter who can break it, it’s Teo,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV.

“I love Shakur because he doesn’t run – he’s right there in front of you – so it’s up to Teo to do something. But I think it’s going to be a great fight.”

While Lopez’s power will always prove dangerous, he is going to have a long night ahead of him; the Stevnson puzzle has yet to be solved, and nobody has come close to unlocking the key to unravelling the 28-year-old's elusive, pestering style.