Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) wasted no time in calling out Gervonta Davis after Shakur’s win over William Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) on Saturday night at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Stevenson told the fans, “Let’s make boxing great again by putting the best against the best.” In other words, he views himself as the “best’ but he hasn’t fought the other best fighters at 135. Beating Zepeda by a set of strangely wide scores doesn’t make Shakur the “best.”
Zepeda Win: Enough For Tank?
The world saw Zepeda’s two previous fights against Tevin Farmer, who arguably did a better job against him than Stevenson did tonight. Farmer just didn’t get the celebrity treatment that Shakur did with these blowout scores: 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109.
Shakur’s Thin Lightweight Resume
– William Zepeda
– Josh Padley
– Artem Harutyunyan
– Edwin De Los Santos
– Shuichiro Yoshino
Is this a good enough resume for Shakur to demand a fight against Gervonta Davis? I don’t think so. That’s a starter resume for someone just getting their feet wet as a newbie in the lightweight division. To share the ring with the King, Tank Davis, Shakur needs to fight a lot better fighters than this limited bunch.
Best vs. Best Demand
“I already told y’all who I want. The best vs. the best. That should be my next fight. I told y’all I’m a dog. I’m a top-level, elite-level fighter,” said Shakur Stevenson at the post-fight press conference tonight when asked who he wants to fight next, letting the media know he wants Gervonta Davis.
Despite Shakur’s win tonight against Zepeda, his resume remains thin at lightweight, lacking what many fans consider the top fighters. Zepeda’s previous two fights against Tevin Farmer, both razor-close, showed that he’s not one of the top five lightweights.
Worthy Opponents For Stevenson
- Andy Cruz
- Abdullah Mason
- Floyd Schofield
- Raymond Muratalla
- Jadier Herrera
Those are the fighters that are better than Zepeda, and ones that Stevenson has not fought yet. If I were to pick one from this bunch that Shakur should fight to earn a Tank Davis mega-fight, it would be 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz. He’s the guy who is leagues above the other fighters in the division.
“Let’s make boxing great again. Let’s put the best fighters in the ring together, and let’s see who comes out victorious,” said Shakur, seeing himself as one of the best at lightweight.
Stevenson has yet to fight the top guys in the lightweight division since moving up to the division in 2023. His win tonight against Zepeda was a good start, but it wasn’t one of the talented 135-lb lightweights.
