Lopez Labels Stevenson “Roadrunner” Before Jan. 31 Fight

That framing carries weight because this bout headlines a DAZN pay per view. Fans are not tuning in for a cautious exercise or a drawn out technical contest. They are paying for a main event that carries tension and consequence. That expectation has followed Stevenson throughout his career. His skill has never been questioned. His willingness to stay engaged when pressure builds has drawn more scrutiny.

Lopez leaned into that contrast while also downplaying the long term danger for his opponent. In his telling, Stevenson is not stepping into a situation that carries lasting cost. If the move to 140 pounds goes poorly, Lopez believes Stevenson can simply return to lightweight and continue defending his WBC title.

That safety net is part of Lopez’s criticism. He is suggesting that Stevenson enters the fight with an exit already available.

“You chose me. I didn’t choose you,” Lopez said in the Ring Magazine video. “You can go back to 135. We’ll send you back to lightweight. You still got your WBC belt. You’re going to be fine.”

Lopez also reached back to their shared amateur history to reinforce his confidence. He pointed to sparring sessions from 2016 in Miami, when both fighters were still teenagers moving through the national system.

“We sparred and did three rounds,” Lopez said. “I was getting the best of him. You should have seen him afterward. Why do you think he said, ‘Stop’? He said, ‘Stop recording.’”

How much weight that memory carries now is open to debate. Years have passed, and both fighters have changed. What matters more is the posture Lopez is bringing into this fight.

He is promising pressure. He is promising pursuit. He is promising not to allow Stevenson to dictate the pace or the terms.

For a pay per view audience, that promise carries real importance. This fight will not be judged on subtlety. It will be judged on whether Stevenson stands his ground when chased or spends the night reinforcing the label Lopez has already given him.