One of boxing’s most effective defensive fighters just isn’t convinced Lopez is the puncher he has been made out to be, especially by Lopez himself. He produced highlight-reel knockouts during his ascent to becoming unified lightweight champion, but each of The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champ’s past five fights have gone the distance.

Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) hasn’t scored a knockout since he stopped Mexico’s Pedro Campa in the seventh round in August 2022.

Stevenson isn’t sure Lopez’s lack of knockouts in the 140-pound division is simply a byproduct of moving up in weight.

“I can’t say it’s the weight because Steve Claggett was a smaller guy,” Stevenson told The Ring. “And being that he was a smaller guy, I watched Teo load up and hit him big, hit him with the biggest shots that he could throw, and the guy just walked right through it. He just [took the punches] and walked right through it. So I can’t say it’s that. I don’t know what to make [of] it. I think he can punch, but I think he overrates his own power.”

Lopez unloaded an array of punches on Canada’s Claggett en route to a dominant 12-round victory in June 2024. The Brooklyn native was never threatened by Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs), who was stopped only once early in his 17-year pro career.

American Jamaine Ortiz and Spain’s Sandor Martin tested Lopez much more than Claggett in two of his other junior welterweight fights. He defeated Ortiz by unanimous decision in their 12-rounder in February 2024 and edged Martin by split decision in a 10-rounder, getting up from a second-round knockdown in December 2022.

Lopez comfortably beat previously undefeated Arnold Barboza on points in his last fight May 2 on The Ring’s card at Times Square in New York. The two-division champion also soundly defeated former undisputed junior welterweight champ Josh Taylor by unanimous decision in June 2023.

Before he moved up to 140 pounds, Lopez owned a 76 percent knockout ratio. It has dropped to 57 percent

“Maybe during [Lopez’s] time [at lightweight] them guys was lesser guys,” said Stevenson, alluding to Richard Commey and Diego Magdaleno. "Them guys [were] not on that level during that time and I think as he moved up the level kind of jumped a little higher and guys can fight a little bit better.”

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) has a lower knockout ratio than Lopez (46 percent) and will make his debut at 140. The three-division champ from Newark, New Jersey, has won just two of his past seven bouts inside the distance.

DraftKings nevertheless lists the cerebral, skillful Stevenson as more than a 3-1 favorite to take Lopez’s titles in the main event of “The Ring 6.”