By Allan Fox: Shakur Stevenson says he’ll return to the ring in the next three to four months following his recent victory over Shuichiro Yoshino in a WBC lightweight title eliminator.
Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) isn’t sure who he’ll be fighting, but one thing is sure, he won’t sit and wait on undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Shakur wants to keep busy and won’t sit and wait on any specific opponent, be it Haney, Ryan Garcia, or Gervonta Davis. With the skills and power that Stevenson displayed in his sixth-round TKO win over Yoshino (16-1, 12 KOs), he’s not likely to find it easy to get any of those three popular fighters to face him.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he’d like to match Shakur against Vasily Lomachenko next if he comes out victorious against Haney on May 20th. With that said, it’s a long shot for Lomachenko to win that fight against Devin.
If Haney wins, Arum must try and entice him to take the fight with Shakur because he’ll no longer be under contract with Top Rank.
Haney’s last fight for his contract with Top Rank expires with his fight against Lomachenko, and it’s doubtful that he’ll want to re-sign if it means that he would need to fight Stevenson because that’s a difficult match-up for him.
Assuming that Top Rank won’t be able to get any of the big three names to fight Shakur next, these would be excellent options for his next fight:
- Frank Martin
- Jamaine Ortiz
- Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz
- William Zepeda
- Francesco Patera
- Floyd Scholfield
- George Kambosos Jr
- Keyshawn Davis
- Gustavo Lemos
Shakur ready for top names at lightweight
“I’m a superstar. I’m feeling like a superstar. I’m performing like a superstar, and I feel like everything is going my way,” said Shakur Stevenson to DAZN Boxing Show.
“All of those dudes can get it. It’s not just specifically for them. It’s me versus everybody,” said Shakur when asked if he’s going to wait until the Devin Haney vs. Vasily Lomachenko fight plays out on May 20th to try and face the winner.
“It’s me versus everybody. Whichever one of those dudes wants to step up to the plate, I’m ready. I know I’m the best fighter in the division. Anybody can get it. Frank Martin, any one of those dudes wants to step up to the plate; I’m ready. If they want to fight me, I’m ready to fight.
“You put any name in a plastic bag and pull them out, I’m going to come out victorious against all of them.
“I’m still a Canelo fan. I got him in my top #2 or #3. He’s a beast and a killer. He just went up against a tough dude in Bivol. I don’t take nothing away from him losing to that dude. He’s a lot bigger than Canelo, so that was bound to happen.
“I don’t get frustrated because I know after I become a big, big superstar, they’re all going to want to fight because they’re going to want that payday.
“I don’t look at it that way, but the dude that I fought, I made him look that way,” said Shakur when asked if he’s frustrated that the top guys don’t mention him. I don’t think he was as bad as he looked.
“Yeah, I am [training for knockouts], but I don’t want these elite-level fighters to get confused. I can do whatever I want to do in the ring. I don’t want these fighters to get confused that I’m going to be right there in front of them.
“They can think whatever they want. Truth be told, I can box with any style. I’ve been boxing for so long that I can do whatever I want in the ring. If I wanted to box and move, I could box and move. If I wanted to stay in there and beat you up, I can stay in there and beat you up.
“I don’t trade in punches, but I can stand and beat you up. [Oscar] Valdez,” said Stevenson when asked who is the hardest puncher he’s fought. “Valdez is strong. He’s got real good power for his size,” said Shakur.
Stevenson to fight in three to four months
“I see myself going to 147 or maybe 154 for the right fight,” Stevenson said. “Honestly, I feel like my skills carry. I’ve sparred with dudes that were way bigger than me. You put me in with anybody at any given day, I can beat anybody.
“No, because there are still more people in the division,” said Stevenson when asked if he’ll move up to 140 if he becomes undisputed at 135. “There are still bigger names there. After I clear out the whole division, then I’ll go to 140.
“I think he’ll smoke Lomachenko,” Shakur said, predicting that Vasily Lomachenko will lose to undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney next month on May 20th. “Lomachenko is too small. Too old, too small.
“I didn’t like the way he [Lomachenko] looked against [Jamaine] Ortiz, but I just know. I seen him in the gym a couple of weeks ago, and he looked little. He looked like a 126-pounder. He doesn’t look like a 135-pounder.
“I just think Devin is too long, too tall, and too rangy for him. Devin will outbox him and smoke him.
“I think with Jamaine Ortiz, he’ll [Keyshawn Davis] will probably stop him.
“I’d go next week if I had the opportunity, but probably in the next three or four months,” said Shakur about when he’ll be fighting next.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to say. It’s too different styles,” said Shakur when asked who would give him more problems between Devin and Gervonta Davis.
“I think with Devin, you’ve got to come in the best shape possible because he’s going to come in great shape. And I think with Tank; he’s got the big punch. I can’t give you the answer to this one. I can’t wait to fight both of them.
“Power puncher,” said Shakur when asked what his favorite style of opponent is. “Dudes that load up on big shots, I love them.”
