Shakur Stevenson is one of the least hittable fighters in the sport according to CompuBox statistics.
The 27-year-old from Newark has been champion in three divisions and currently holds the WBC Lightweight World Title. His skills are held in such high regard that many knowledgable boxing people believe he may be unbeatable.
Shakur is set to enter a new stage of his career having split with Bob Arum’s Top Rank and signed a three-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, which got off to the worst start when the first bout against two-time super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina was pulled due to a hand injury on Stevenson’s part.
Still, the future is bright. The American has told fans he will return in February against William Zepeda, who is in the unique position of being number one with all four sanctioning bodies.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Arum predicted a straightforward win.
“I don’t think Zepeda is anywhere near as good as Shakur.”
In fact, the only man he sees posing any sort of threat in the lightweight ranks is Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko, not knockout artist Gervonta Davis.
“I think Shakur beats everybody at 135 that’s been mentioned. Maybe if Lomachenko keeps fighting, Loma could make a tremendous match-up with him, but other than that I don’t see anybody with the skills to face and beat Shakur.”
Lomachenko – who is a three-weight champion like Stevenson and promoted by Arum – was in talks for a unification bout with ‘Tank’ Davis before pulling out and taking the rest of the year off. Some in the sport feel he may retire but the promoter has said otherwise and believes he will return in 2025.
