Lamont Roach says he believes a fight between him and Shakur Stevenson can happen in 2026 at 135 after they win their next fights. He’s confident that Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) will be victorious in his still-to-be-announced fight against WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez on January 31, 2026.
The Businessman Version of Roach
Sounding more like a businessman than a fighter, the 30-year-old Roach is already lining up the Shakur fight despite still needing to win his fight next month against WBC interim light welterweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz on December 6, 2025, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
When one looks at the sharks at 135 and 140, Shakur vs. Roach is a fight that fits both in terms of career survival. It keeps them in the shallows away from the sharks that would quickly devour them if they ventured out beyond the safety zone.
Isaac Cruz: The Only Winnable Option
Roach is very strategic in the way he targets fighters, choosing interim champion Isaac Cruz over the more dangerous real champions, Gary Antuanne Russell or Subriel Matias, at 140. Is that by accident or intentional on Lamont’s part?
That’s the perfect opponent for Roach because the tiny Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) is vulnerable. If Lamont had chosen the elite champions at 140, WBA light welterweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell or WBC champion Subriel Matias, he’d be heading for pure trouble and a likely bad knockout loss.
Roach doesn’t hit hard enough to compete with those apex predators, and the three-foot step-back move he uses wouldn’t hold off Antuanne or Matias for long. He’ll be okay against the 5’4″ Cruz, as long as he keeps moving all night and doesn’t stand still.
Roach says he understands why Shakur is taking the fight with Teofimo in 2026 rather than him, as it’s a bigger fight. He’s right about that. Roach is only known for his 12-round majority draw against a disengaged-looking Gervonta Davis on March 1, 2025.
Before that fight, Roach was only known to hardcore boxing fans and not viewed as a superstar or PPV material due to his defensive style—much like Shakur, but slower.
Lightweight Reality Check
Roach says he wants to prove he’s “one of the best fighters” in the sport; hence his desire to fight Shakur, who has already expressed a desire to fight him. Talent-wise, Roach doesn’t look as good as these top lightweights:
- Andy Cruz
- Abdullah Mason
- Raymond Muratalla
- Floyd Schofield
- William Zepeda
Although Roach fought Tank Davis to a draw, he didn’t show the kind of ability that would indicate that he could beat any of the five lightweights in the list above. Roach is missing that spark that would suggest that he can hang with those fighters.
You can’t blame Lamont for trying to hustle fights to make money, but his 15 minutes of fame could end quickly if he fights any of the killers at 135 or the true top rung fighters at 140, like Gary Antuanne Russell.
“For sure. Shakur is one of the best fighters in boxing. My thing is I want to prove I’m one of the best fighters in boxing,” said Lamont Roach to Inside Boxing when asked if he’s interested in fighting Shakur Stevenson.
Shakur is among the top five at 135, but not “the best” in boxing. He has been well-matched by his promoters since moving up to the lightweight division. Many fans rate Stevenson at the #5 spot at 135:
- Andy Cruz
- Floyd Schofield
- Abdullah Mason
- Raymond Muratalla
- Shakur Stevenson
- William Zepeda
- Jadier Herrera
- Lamont Roach
- Gervonta Davis
- Jose Valenzuela
Why 2026 Fits Both Men
Understandably, Shakur has already stated that he wants to return to 135 to fight Roach after his fight with Teofimo. He’s not mentioning the dangerous lightweights, like Andy Cruz, Schofield, or Mason, who would jeopardize his career. He wants Roach, who is safe, lacks power, is slow, and hittable. It’s a perfect style matchup for Shakur.
“We already talked about it. We do want to fight each other. We do want to put on a show for the fans,” said Roach about Shakur. “It just matters what’s out there for us. Teo is a bigger fight than me. I’m being realistic. We could have fought at the same time he and Teo are fighting [January 2026], but he had that on the table. I’m very understanding.”
Shakur is trying to get the bag after his tougher-than-expected fight against William Zepeda last summer on July 12th. That fight showed the writing is on the wall for Stevenson, revealing that he lacks the power or the offensive ability to stand and fight against top lightweights without being turned into a human pin cushion.
Rather than staying at 135 and defending against his #1 WBC contender, Andy Cruz, Shakur fled to 140 to target the weakest link among the four champions, Teofimo Lopez. I believe that’s the only one that Shakur would stand a good chance of beating.
“It’s more money. It’s more publicity. It’s just a bigger fight. For sure,” said Roach when told that he can get the winner of Teofimo Lopez and Shakur.
