Mercado, 18-0 with 17 knockouts, addressed Stevenson’s January 31 win over WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez within the DAZN PPV major event at Madison Square Garden. In comments posted by Dan The Boxing Man from @theboxingmob, Mercado acknowledged the result but questioned the approach.
“Shakur beat him, but he didn’t beat his ***,” Mercado said. “You already know, there have been loads of times when he just hit him with jabs to his face. That’s cool, bro, but if you got a man mentally defeated. That’s if you make the most and let your hands go. We didn’t see that yet again from Shakur. There’s loads of holes in his game, hopefully someday…I get the chance with him.”
The WBO belt modified hands without dispute. Shakur Stevenson controlled range, reduced exchanges, and banked rounds behind a pointy jab.
The criticism begins once Teofimo Lopez slowed. At that time, effective aggression is predicted. Add combos. Work the body. Press the advantage.
Stevenson selected precision and risk control.
That style has brought belts across divisions. It also draws recurring criticism that he prioritizes round-winning over aggression and exciting the fans. Against Lopez, a former undisputed champion, some observers expected a sharper closing statement.
Stevenson holds the WBO title. Contenders reminiscent of Mercado are attempting to push their way into that order.
The query shouldn’t be whether Stevenson can win rounds. He has proven that. The query raised by fighters like Mercado is whether or not he’ll press for a finish when the opening is there.
At elite level, that distinction often defines how champions are judged beyond the scorecards.
‼️TITO MERCADO ON SHAKUR STEVENSON’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST TEOFIMO‼️
Tito Mercado: “Shakur beat him,but he didn’t beat his ass. You already know there have been alot of times where he just hit him with jabs to his face. That’s cool bro, but if you got a man mentally defeated…that’s if you… pic.twitter.com/cSiCIoydma
— Dan The Boxing Man (@dantheboxingman) February 25, 2026