Andre Ward removes any bias from the equation and provides his final prediction Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson.

Lopez will defend his WBO title for the fourth time in this entertaining super lightweight bout, which takes place on Saturday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Despite being the defending champion, the 28-year-old’s performance was rather unspectacular, putting him at a disadvantage against Stevenson, who is expected to become a four-division world champion.

Although Lopez performed well vs. Vasily Lomachenko He had points wins over the likes of Xander Martin and Jermaine Ortiz in 2020 and 2023 respectively, but ultimately was far less impressive.

Perhaps what Takeover has over Stevenson, though, is athleticism, which many believe could be a huge factor in their game.

Stevenson’s main advantage, meanwhile, stems more from a technical perspective, with his sharp jab and defensive abilities often allowing him to knock out opponents over 12 rounds.

On his last outing, vs. william zepedathe crafty southpaw showcased those strengths while opting to make pocket trades with his ruthless opponents.

While it’s unlikely Stevenson will implement the same strategy against Lopez, his versatile play still shows he’s more than capable.

Hall of Famer Ward certainly seems to think so, telling Froch on combat He predicted a points win for his old friend.

“I’m going to go with my brother no matter what. That’s my brother. (But) if you take Shakur out as family, I’m still going to take Shakur.

“Probably (on) point because Te’o isn’t a guy that’s just going to sit there and take a lot of punches either. He moves (and) he has (good) defense and technique.”

Regardless of Ward’s predictions, Lopez’s explosiveness and athleticism will certainly cause problems for Stevenson, especially if the Brooklyn native is able to initiate a series of wild exchanges.