Boxing

Mercado claims Shakur Stevenson blocked him out of fear

Published

9 months ago

November 29, 2025

Image: Ernesto Mercado Calls Richardson Hitchins a 'Fake Champion'

Ernesto Mercado says Shakur Stevenson has been avoiding him since he drafted him. Matchroom-promoted welterweight contender Mercado (17-0, 16 KO) believes Shakur is “afraid” of him. He says Stevenson blocked him on social media.

Mercado, 24, tried to get Shakur (24-0, 11 KO) to fight him, but was unsuccessful. Instead, he chose to ignore him and fight the likes of Josh Padley, Artem Harutyunyan and William Zepeda to keep his undefeated record.

What was surprising was that Eddie Hearn didn’t try to match Shakur with Mercado while he was still under contract with Matchroom. Instead, Hearn handed Shakur Josh Padley, an electrician and part-time boxer, a mismatch earlier this year on February 22 in Riyad.

Hearn was trying to match Stevenson with former IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina, who defeated Anthony Cacace by eighth-round knockout.

“I think Shakur already has the idea, so he doesn’t really want to have it [fight]. When I called him, he really didn’t want to say anything. He was trying to avoid me the whole time,” said Ernesto Mercado Fight about how Shakur Stevenson didn’t notice him when he called out to him.

The 24-year-old Mercado would be a problem for Stevenson due to his punching power, aggression and pedigree. This wouldn’t be a fight where Shakur could hide on the ropes, as he did in his last fight against William Zepeda on July 12, or move around for 12 rounds. He would have to mix it up with Tito Mercado to win.

“He even blocked me on all social media. The boy is scared. At first it will be a tactical fight, but eventually I will break him and knock him out,” Mercado said about Shakur. “I see him for who he really is. He is a good boxer, but you also have to see who he is fighting.”

The punching power and pressure of Mercado’s fighting style would make him a threat to Stevenson. He is a completely different type of fighter than the 24 fighters Shakur has produced on his professional resume. In terms of size, Shakur and Mercado are similar, but power and a seek-and-destroy style are what set Ernesto apart.

“The top ranks at the beginning of his career when he was with them, they matched him really perfectly, fighting guys like [Oscar] Valdez, which suits his style. All these guys who fit his style perfectly. I don’t think it fits me very well,” Mercado said.

When Shakur was on Top Rank, they weren’t a forceful match for him. He was treated by Edgar Berlanga. They brought in previous fighters who were not a threat because he was defeated in the 2016 Olympics by Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez and unmasked in that fight. So in the 22 fights Shakur had at Top Rank, opponents matched him with opponents who posed no threat to defeating him.

Mercado returns after a break due to injury. Earlier this year, on January 25, he knocked out Jose Pedraza in the fourth round. Next month, Mercado will fight Antonio Moran (31-7-1, 21 KO) in a 10-round fight on the Matchroom card on December 10 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. Mercado vs. Moran will be on the undercard of Diego Pacheco vs. Kevin Lele Sadjo.

Nation Vegas has been writing about fighting games since 2012 and is currently a featured writer Boxing News 24. Over the years, it has built a reputation for extensive coverage of both major events and emerging prospects, delivering news, fight reports and features that connect with fans around the world.

With over a decade of experience, Nation combines insightful analysis with an accessible style, making his work a trusted source for readers who want to follow sports from every angle. His consistency and passion for boxing have made him a respected voice on the site.

Last update: 29/11/2025

Boxing

Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo Scorecard Analysis and Highlights

Published

20 hours ago

August 29, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo Scorecard Analysis and Highlights"

World Boxing News provides a scorecard as unbeaten heavyweights Nelson Hysa and Thomas Narmo collide at the O2 Arena in London.

Hysa enters with a perfect 24-0 record against Narmo at 14-0, with neither heavyweight tasting defeat as a professional.

Someone’s ‘0’ has to go, with the regional WBO and WBA Global heavyweight titles on the line over ten rounds on the Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic undercard.

WBN provides a live scorecard of the contest below, plus live results throughout the event.

Hysa vs Narmo Scorecard

Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo

(Live scorecard will refresh every 2 mins)

WBO and WBA Global Heavyweight Titles
O2 Arena, London
10×3

Round	House	Narmo
Round 1	10	9
Round 2	TKO
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
WBN Totals:

Official Result:

Preview

Hysa puts his unbeaten 24-0 record on the line against Narmo, who arrives in London with a perfect 14-0 record of his own.

The ten-round heavyweight contest carries the regional belts and gives both men the opportunity to make a statement on the Itauma vs Hrgovic undercard.

The Hysa vs Narmo scorecard will continue alongside more live coverage on World Boxing News.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Boxing

Tim Bradley Urges Teofimo Lopez to Seize His Moment with Key Next Fight

Published

22 hours ago

August 29, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Tim Bradley Urges Teofimo Lopez to Seize His Moment with Key Next Fight"

Timothy Bradley has urged Teofimo Lopez to face one man after dethroning Rolando Romero for the WBA welterweight strap.

‘The Takeover’ became a three-division world champion last weekend, claiming a majority decision victory over ‘Rolly’ in his first outing at 147lbs.

While Romero was always dangerous, and even hurt his man in round five, it was Lopez who ultimately proved the busier and more skilful operator.

As a result, the 29-year-old is now eager to secure unification matches against either Devin Haney, Liam Paro or the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, which takes place at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12.

At the same time, though, Lopez could soon be ordered to face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall, who claimed his WBA ‘regular’ title with a unanimous decision victory over Shakhram Giyasov in May.

Before that, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza had ruled that the winner would earn his shot at the full welterweight belt within 180 days of their contest taking place.

And while, admittedly, a title defence by November 19 seems entirely unrealistic, Bradley has nonetheless expressed his desire for Lopez to face leading contender Catterall.

“Teo, you gotta face Jack Catterall next. Yeah, you gotta honour that [mandatory duty]. You just got the belt, right? You gotta defend that title against Jack Catterall.

“He’s been waiting patiently, and it’s his time and his opportunity.”

While Catterall does, indeed, appear to be in a strong position with the WBA, Lopez’ manager Keith Connolly is actively exploring a route for the American to swerve his mandatory duty and chase more lucrative opportunities.

Boxing

Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron: Live Results and Fight Highlights

Published

23 hours ago

August 29, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron: Live Results and Fight Highlights"

LIVE COVERAGE

World Boxing News provides results and updates as Mikaela Mayer faces Chantelle Cameron in a super welterweight world title fight at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham.

Mayer and Cameron collide over ten rounds with the WBC, WBA and WBO super welterweight titles on the line in the main event of MVPW-06.

The card also features Caroline Dubois defending the WBC and WBO lightweight titles against Amelia Moore, while Terri Harper faces Miranda Reyes over eight rounds.

WBN provides live results and updates from every bout as they happen.

Scorecards:

Mikaela Mayer vs. Chantelle Cameron
Caroline Dubois vs. Amelia Moore

Live Results

All times are local BST.

20:06

Terri Harper blasted out Miranda Reyes in two rounds to announce herself at super lightweight. Harper is aiming to win a world title in a fourth weight class and made the perfect start to life at 140 pounds.

A crushing right hand did the damage, with Reyes out of it when the referee stopped her on her feet.

19:45

A nervous Tysie Gallagher came through Brandi Robinson in a super bantamweight bout that could easily have been a draw. Gallagher got the nod after eight rounds 77-75 on the referee’s card after being warned more than once that she wasn’t doing enough.

18:56

Neeraj Goyatwho was once lined up to fight Amir Khan, secured a six-round points win over Yessin Koulali at super lightweight.

18:11

Scott Melvin recorded a sixth round stoppage over Dylan Cheema at lightweight. Melvin’s C.V. reads 13-1 after inflicting a fouth defeat on Cheema.

17:52

Shannon Courtenay and Ebony Cotton fought to a draw over six rounds. The former WBA bantamweight champion and Cotton battled to a stalemate despite Courtenay seemingly doing enough.

Referee Chris Dean scored the contest 57-57 as Courtenay moved to 11-3-1, while Cotton is now 2-2-1.

17:26

Gemma Richardson got the victory against Kirstie Bavington via a six-round decision. The super lightweight made it five straight victories with an assured performance against the game Bavington.

17:01

Hamza Uddin and Brandon Bethell scored early wins as the action got underway in Birmingham.

Uddin defeated Jemsi Kibazange at flyweight, while Bethell scored a decision over Jorge Huerta in the super lightweight division.

TV Coverage and Remaining Bouts

The event is available live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN+ in the United States.

Remaining bouts:

Mikaela Mayer vs. Chantelle Cameron — WBC and WBO super welterweight titles, 10 rounds
Caroline Dubois vs. Amelia Moore — WBC and WBO lightweight titles, 10 rounds
Reina Tellez vs. Jessica Barry — featherweight, 10 rounds

Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.

About the Author

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.