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The fighter considered to be Shakur Stevenson’s toughest test “guarantees” you’ll avoid it

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Fighter tipped to be Shakur Stevenson’s toughest test ‘guarantees’ he will be avoided

The boxing world is raving about Shakur Stevenson after his latest victory, and many consider him unbeatable, but there is one fighter who believes the southerner from Newark will avoid him at all costs.

Stevenson dethroned Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO super lightweight title on Saturday evening.

After being stripped of the WBC lightweight belt just days later, it’s unclear whether Stevenson will stay at 140 to defend his modern belt or return to 135 without a title, but he has huge fights ahead of him.

With plenty of options on the table, two-division world champion Tim Bradley has selected WBC super featherweight ruler O’Shaquie Foster as the man who can provide Stevenson with his toughest test.

“I’ll tell you all, you may not agree with me, but a fighter who can match Shakur, I’m not saying he’ll beat him, but he can get along with him at his level, his name is O’Shaquie Foster.

“Foster, in terms of fame, is not greater than Teo, but in terms of skill [he is]. O’Shaquie should be on the pound-for-pound list. O’Shaquie has a lot of what Shakur has in the distance, and he also got a quick push from the southpaw position.

“The last fighter to defeat Shakur Stevenson [in the amateurs] he was a southpaw. O’Shaquie can go Orthodox too, he’s huge too. It has some size, reach and some pop.

On the “Come and Talk to Me” podcast. – an interview that took place before Stevenson’s WBC belt was announced – Foster said Stevenson would avoid the 135-pound division due to the threat of moving up from 130 and becoming his mandatory challenger.

“If he goes back to 135 pounds, I will make it happen, he will have no choice. But I guarantee you he will stay away from me. I guarantee you he will not go back to 135 pounds.

“That’s what he’s going to do, I promise you. Why do you think he’s talking about Conor Benn and ‘I just want huge fights,’ so wow, because he knows that if he goes back to 135, I’m going to press that button and make him mandatory and we’ll see.”

If Stevenson remains at 140 pounds, Cuba’s WBC interim lightweight champion Jadier Herrera is expected to either be promoted to full champion or fight for the vacant belt, with Foster being one of the possible candidates for the opposite corner.

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Jermell Charlo picks Tim Tszyu to defeat Errol Spence Jr

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Image: Jermell Charlo Picks Tim Tszyu to Beat Errol Spence Jr

Charlo then launched into a longer explanation, questioning what version of Spence would emerge after his years outside the ring and claiming that style favored Tszyu.

“He has little defense. Errol will come in softly. He doesn’t really move his head. Tim moves his head. He throws a few stone hay shots. “I just follow my fighting style and be realistic.”

Jermell looked like a war veteran and described the fight, giving reasons why he chose Tszyu to beat Spence.

For years, these two towers were the “Twin Towers” of Derrick James’ gym in Dallas. They shared celebrations, sweat and secrets. The problem is that Errol was very vocal about these sessions, essentially telling the world that he was “teaching” Jermell.

For a guy like Charlo, who carries enormous pride and has built his “Lions Only” brand on being the alpha, having a former teammate claim dominance over him is a stain he can’t wash off in a sanctioned fight.

Having never fought professionally, these gym stories are the only narrative that exists and you have to wonder if it’s still eating at him.

Charlo also indicated the location, with the fight expected to take place in Australia.

“He’s going to Australia there. I see Tim Tszyu winning that fight,” Jermell said.

X is having a field day because Charlo looks like a man who sat in a dim room and watched Spence’s training videos over and over again. Fans call this the “villain arc” energy. He spoke quickly, louder and louder, and seemed personally interested in the answer.

During the prophecy, Jermell had a diabolical look in his eyes, as if he were performing a technical exorcism on his elderly rival.

When he has such wide eyes and high energy intensity, he tends to rely on his “Only Lions” personality, which thrives on perceived disrespect. In this case, the disrespect is the years in which Errol Spence Jr. he claimed to be the “substantial brother” at the gym.

“I don’t have to fight Errol Spence and I don’t care about fighting Errol Spence,” Jermell said.

Jermell is essentially using Tim Tszyu as a proxy. Since Charlo hasn’t fought at 154 pounds since 2022, he needs Spence to lose to someone else to prove that the elderly era (the Derrick James era) is over. If Tszyu destroys Spence, it will validate Charlo’s technical criticism and make his inactivity look like a calculated move rather than a decline.

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating a prime Lennox Lewis

Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.

Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.

However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.

In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.

“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”

At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.

In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.

As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.

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Jermell Charlo says Derrick James has changed with fame

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Image: Jermell Charlo says Derrick James changed as success grew

“Derrick James, he started getting a little more players and a little more buzz, and I feel like our communication has changed,” Charlo told Brian Custer.

Charlo said that as James built a larger stable, there was less hands-on time spent with him and more trying to control the gym environment. He claimed that James wanted things done his way, including telling players to remove dogs from the gym during training sessions and changing the atmosphere that helped build their success.

Charlo has been out of the ring since his loss to Saul Alvarez in 2023, and James recently split from Errol Spence Jr. A coach once considered one of the safest hands in the sport is suddenly facing public criticism from two of his biggest names.

“He wanted it his way,” Charlo said. “Coach needs us. Don’t overdo it, coach. Serene down, coach. I was your first champion.”

He also pointed to his camp leading up to the Alvarez fight, saying the support around him wasn’t the same when he needed it most.

“You don’t enter into a world title fight like that,” Charlo said.

Charlo still believes he can regain his spot in the junior middleweight division, and talks about a possible fight with Sebastian Fundora are ongoing later this year. His confidence hasn’t changed, but his patience with ancient alliances has noticeably changed. Sometimes a rift begins when success changes the room.

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