Two judges who recently scored Teofimo Lopez’s victory over Arnold Barboza have been appointed to judge the upcoming match between Lopez and Shakur Stevenson. The announcement confirms that New York judges Max De Luca and Eric Marlinski will take on scoring duties for the fight scheduled for January 31 at Madison Square Garden. Also serving as a judge for this 12-round bout will be Steve Weisfeld from New Jersey, who has been approved by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Harvey Dock from New Jersey has been selected as the referee for this highly anticipated main event of “The Ring 6” pay-per-view show. De Luca and Marlinski both had Lopez winning his last fight against Barboza with a score of 116-112, while a third judge, David Sutherland, scored it more widely in favor of Lopez at 118-110. The differences in scoring highlight the potential for varying interpretations in boxing, especially given that Lopez has seen six of his seven world title bouts go the distance.
This upcoming showdown features Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), who is a former unified lightweight champion, against Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), the reigning WBC lightweight champion. Stevenson is widely regarded as an elite defensive fighter, and much anticipation surrounds how the judges will score a fight that is expected to be closely contested.
Weisfeld has a history of scoring fights involving both boxers; he scored significant wins for Stevenson over Edwin De Los Santos and Robson Conceicao, as well as notable victories for Lopez against Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jamaine Ortiz. The judges’ experiences could affect the outcome of this match, particularly given that Lopez’s fights tend to be long and strategic, often requiring careful scoring.
Fans can catch “The Ring 6” via pay-per-view for $69.99 in the United States or £24.99 in the United Kingdom. The event, headlined by the Lopez-Stevenson clash, is also available as part of DAZN’s Ultimate monthly subscription for viewers in the U.S. and the UK, making it accessible to a broad audience.
As the fight approaches, boxing enthusiasts are eager to see how the judges’ assignments will influence the bout between two of boxing’s leading talents.