Turki Alalshikh has gone and dropped the location bomb. Madison Square Garden is locked in for Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson on Saturday, January 31, for The Ring 6 world title showdown. Proper stage. Proper danger. Two elite operators walking into boxing’s most unforgiving theatre.
The two will go nose to nose this Wednesday, December 10, back at MSG for the launch press conference in New York City, starting at 1pm. The machine is already rolling.
Why MSG Changes the Temperature on This One
This January 31, 2026 event is being pushed out by SELA and Matchroom Boxing, with DAZN streaming it worldwide. Tickets go live via Ticketmaster with pre-sale starting Wednesday, December 10 at Noon EST, closing Thursday at 11am, then the public sale opens Thursday at Noon EST. No hiding. No excuses.
Joel Fisher from MSG Entertainment nailed the tone without overcooking it:
“Madison Square Garden boasts a storied boxing legacy, having hosted countless world title fights… We’re looking forward to welcoming Teofimo and Shakur… for what promises to be another unforgettable championship night.”
MSG doesn’t do small energy. If you fold there, the building remembers you forever.
Belts, Divisions, and Serious Consequences
Brooklyn’s Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) puts his WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles on the line against Shakur Stevenson, the reigning WBC lightweight world champion, who is stepping up to 140 for the first time. That jump is where careers get respected or broken.
For Teofimo, this is title defence number four and another swing at keeping his six-fight winning run alive. His last outing was a clean unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr on The Ring’s Fatal Fury Times Square card back in May. He didn’t scrape through it either. He handled business.
For Shakur, fighting just a few miles from his Newark stomping ground, this is about history. Win this and he becomes a four-weight world champion.
His last run-out came in July at the Ring III show at Louis Armstrong Stadium. No drama, no crowd-pleasing nonsense. He broke William Zepeda down round by round and walked out with his WBC belt still strapped tight. Cold work. Professional damage.
Now it’s Madison Square Garden. Same building that swallowed men whole in Ali vs Frazier back in ’71. The kind of place that drags the truth out of you whether you’re ready for it or not. The air in there weighs heavy long before the first bell even thinks about ringing.
January 31 isn’t about hype. It’s about who walks out still owning their future.
Wow, MSG again? Because clearly there’s nowhere else to host a boxing match. Totally not overhyped at all. I’m sure the building’s ‘heavy air’ will make all the difference in who wins. 😂
Teofimo wins easy. Shakur never faced strong fighters like him. People overrate him because he quiet in ring. But quiet don’t win fights when punches start flying.
This fight sounds big, but why always at Madison Square Garden? There are other places to make history too. They always talk like MSG is the only boxing place.
I think it is too early for Shakur to go 140. He is good, but Teofimo has more power and experience in this division. Not smart move for Shakur now.
I’m tired of DAZN making everything sound bigger than it is just to sell tickets. Half these ‘big’ fights turn out boring anyway with no knockouts or excitement 😤.
Totally agree! They always build it up but most fights end in decision with no action at all. We want real fights not just TV drama 📺❌!
Yeah Dominic, DAZN tries to make every match seem like Ali vs Frazier when it’s really just two dudes playing tag for twelve rounds 🙄.
This fight ain’t about history or legacy like they say in the article. It’s about who wants it more on that night and who trained harder, plain and simple 🥊🔥.
I think Teofimo gets too much hype cause of where he from. Just cause he’s from Brooklyn don’t mean he better than everyone else. Shakur got real skills that matter more than hometowns.
People keep saying Stevenson moving up is risky but I think that’s wrong. He already beat tough guys before and he’ll do it again even if it’s at 140 pounds 💪.
All this talk about belts and titles don’t matter if they ain’t fighting for real pride. Too many boxers just care about money now and forget how to really throw down 😒.
Everyone says Teofimo is gonna win easy, but that don’t make no sense to me. Shakur is faster and smarter in the ring, and speed always beats power if you ask me.
I don’t get why people act like fighting at Madison Square Garden makes someone a legend. It’s just a building. If Shakur wins, it’s because he trained hard, not because of MSG.
Yeah exactly, Lucas. People put too much meaning into the location. It don’t punch for you. The fighters do all the work, not the arena 🥊.