Teofimo Lopez Thinks Pacquiao Still Has Enough to Trouble Stevenson

Shakur Stevenson has spent 2026 saying no to welterweight, and at 25-0 with a WBO super-lightweight belt already on his shelf, he hasn't needed to say yes. But there's one name that could change the math: Manny Pacquiao, the only fighter alive who's held titles in eight divisions. Now Teofimo Lopez — who lost to Stevenson by unanimous decision — has given his read on a fight that's suddenly gaining traction.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Lopez didn't dismiss it. He reckons Pacquiao still has enough left to hand Stevenson a genuinely tough night, calling it a strong technical matchup between two southpaws. Lopez also went out of his way to praise Pacquiao's showing against Mario Barrios, suggesting the eight-division champ deserved the nod in that one and that a WBC bout with Ryan Garcia should've followed.

Why the Fight Exists Now

This isn't the first plan floated for Pacquiao. He'd been linked to a professional rematch with Floyd Mayweather and, more concretely, a run at Liam Paro's IBF welterweight strap — a win there would have made him the oldest 147lb world champion in history, breaking his own record. Both routes have closed. Mayweather is tangled in legal issues, and Paro (28-1, 16 KO) is looking elsewhere: a unification with Devin Haney or an all-Australian scrap with George Kambosos Jr.

That leaves two fighters without a dance partner. Pacquiao needs an opponent worth the marquee. Stevenson, freshly signed to Zuffa Boxing, needs a name big enough to justify the jump up in weight. The rumours writing themselves is the whole point.

The Stylistic Math

On paper it's an awkward puzzle. Stevenson is a defensive technician whose 25-0 record carries just 11 knockouts — he wins rounds, he doesn't blow people out. Pacquiao at his peak was volume and angles from the southpaw stance, and if Lopez is right about the tank still having fuel, that pressure could drag Stevenson into exactly the kind of exchanges he usually avoids.

The alternative on Stevenson's plate is a domestic super-lightweight showdown with WBA champ Gary Antuanne Russell, who at 19-1 (17 KO) carries the kind of finishing rate Stevenson doesn't. Pacquiao is the bigger event; Russell is the bigger risk. Either way, Stevenson's near-term future just got a lot more interesting than a quiet stay at 140.