Several of Top Rank’s top rising stars are set to compete on the pay-per-view card for Terence Crawford’s next world title defense.
Top Rank Boxing announced the full main card for the April 20 card from Madison Square Garden and lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez and featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson are announced to have separate bouts on the card.
Lopez, one of the lightweight division’s newest stars, will take on two-time European champion Edis Tatli on the card. Lopez, ranked in the top five by the WBA, WBC and WBO, has won all 12 of his pro bouts, including a win over Diego Magdaleno back in February.
Also announced for the event is Stevenson’s next bout against former world title challenger Christopher Diaz. The fight will be a major step-up in competition for Stevenson, who won a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics, compared to most of his previous opponents. Stevenson is coming off a win over Jessie Cris Rosales back in January to win the IBF Intercontinental and WBC Continental Americas featherweight titles.
Diaz previously challenged for the vacant WBO super featherweight title in the summer of 2018 when he lost a decision to Masayuki Ito. Diaz then moved down to featherweight for his next fight, which ended up being a first-round knockout win over David Berna last November.
Opening the card is a lightweight fight between Felix Verdejo and Bryan Vasquez. Verdejo was once primed for a shot at a lightweight world title, but he suffered a motorcycle accident in 2016 that ended his chances at a title. Verdejo’s in-ring activity has been inconsistent after the accident, winning just two of his last three fights since the start of 2017.
Below is the full main card for the April 20 card from Madison Square Garden, headlined by Crawford’s WBO welterweight title defense against Amir Khan:
- Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan: WBO Welterweight title bout
- Teofimo Lopez vs. Edis Tatli: Lightweight bout
- Shakur Stevenson vs. Christopher Diaz: Featherweight bout
- Felix Verdejo vs. Bryan Vasquez: Lightweight bout
