Hearn – whose company, Matchroom Boxing, was the official promoter of “The Ring 6” card at a sold-out Madison Square Garden – felt Stevenson was physically stronger and a harder puncher than Lopez, even though Stevenson was making his debut in the 140-pound division. Lopez competed at junior welterweight for the seventh time, but the former Ring/WBO champion was no match for the highly skilled Stevenson’s defensive prowess, jab and ring IQ.

Stevenson won 11 of 12 rounds on the cards of judges Max De Luca, Eric Marlinski and Steve Weisfeld, each of whom scored their 12-round fight 119-109.

“On a level playing field, it’s very difficult for Shakur to get beaten by anybody,” Hearn said during the post-fight press conference. “Because a level playing field probably for him is 135. I actually thought he looked quite powerful at 140. I actually thought he could’ve stopped Teofimo Lopez if he would’ve maybe put his foot on the gas. Didn’t need to, but I thought his punches looked solid in there tonight. I thought he looked like he had the heavier hands of the two.”

The poised, sharper Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) caused swelling and a cut around Lopez’s left eye. The four-division champ from Newark, New Jersey is sure he hurt Lopez on multiple occasions, but the southpaw credited the stubborn, Brooklyn-born Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) for making it to the final bell in a one-sided fight.

“Yeah, for sure, I hurt him a couple times,” Stevenson said. “My jab, my left hand to the body, my left hand up top. I put on a great show tonight.”

Stevenson wasn’t disappointed that he didn’t stop Lopez.

“It’s boxing, at the end of the day,” Stevenson said. “I seen him go out there and, when I was about to stop him, he started fighting back a little bit. So, respect to him. He’s a sharp fighter. He got a lotta knowledge, and he did what he did to survive.”

It didn’t take Stevenson long to realize that he is a stronger fighter than Lopez, a former unified lightweight champ who scored several impressive knockouts when he competed in the 135-pound division. Stevenson also noticed that he demoralized Lopez as he comfortably banked one round after another.

“I definitely did,” Stevenson said. “I feel like he’s a fighter, so he tried to fight back. But yeah, I picked him apart. In the second round, I wanna say, I told my corner, I said, ‘I’m stronger than he is.’"

The 28-year-old Stevenson, ranked seventh on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, entered their fight as more than a 3-1 favorite. Defeating a talented two-division champion so easily nevertheless left Hearn in awe.

“I think what Shakur proved tonight is that he is just a generational talent,” Hearn said. “I mean, he made an elite fighter look very, very average tonight. And to be a four-division champion at 28 years of age is unbelievable. And the way that he’s doing it, he’s not even coming out of first gear.” Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.