WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson took to social media today to brag to his followers that Ryan Garcia will fight him next. Stevenson gets ahead of himself by counting his chickens before they’re hatched.
Ryan’s Still Got Hurdles to Jump… Like Devin Haney
Ryan told Shakur that he would fight him if he can’t get a rematch with Gervonta Davis at 140 after his fight with Devin Haney on April 20th. That’s assuming Ryan wins against Haney. If he loses, Kingry will be back in the rebuilding stage.
If Ryan loses that fight, his career will be on skidrow, with a cup in his hand, and useless to Shakur or anyone.
Shakur would look silly fighting Ryan with him coming off a lopsided 12-0 shutout loss to Haney. Granted, the 26-year-old Stevenson is desperate to get any big name to fight him, but fighting Ryan off a bad loss is reaching for the bottom of the Barrell.
Shakur Stevenson: “Ryan says he will fight me next. Let’s hold him to his word.”
Ryan Garcia: “That I did if I can’t get that Tank rematch at 140.”
Shakur, Aim Higher Than the Scrap Heap
Instead of Shakur trying to scrounge up a fight with Ryan likely coming off another bad defeat, the New Jersey native should show some bravery and give Edwin De Los Santos a rematch or, better yet, fight Raymond Muratalla or Andy Cruz next.
Boxing fans already believe Stevenson is scared of Muratalla and will not even mention Cruz’s name except to smother him with praise. The fawning compliments Shakur is giving Andy Cruz aren’t going to keep him from going after his scalp if he chooses to stay at lightweight much longer.
Stevenson has been a big disappointment since moving up to 135, and if he can’t change the way he fights, he needs to move up to 140 or 147, where he’ll be in a sink-or-swim atmosphere.
The defensive style that Shakur uses will be useless for him above 135 because those guys can punch at 140 and 147, and they’ll get to his chin sooner or later.
Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs), who has been unable to get any of the notable names to fight him since moving up to 135, says he’s holding Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) to his word.
Stevenson will fight on July 6th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, against an opponent yet to be determined. Top Rank is expected to offer him William Zepeda or Raymond Muratalla next. Both guys would be a nightmare for Shakur and would likely beat him.