Shakur Stevenson has often been praised for his willingness to fight all opponents, but there is one fighter the 28-year-old has stated he will not fight. Now the newly crowned WBO super lightweight champion may be ordered to fight the man.
Stevenson moved up to super lightweight and dethroned Teofimo Lopez capture the WBO super lightweight crown and become the third-youngest four-division world champion in boxing history.
The WBC has since made the decision to strip Stevenson of his lightweight world title, leaving the Newark fighter wondering whether he should return to 135 pounds without the belt, stay at 140 pounds and defend his up-to-date title, or move up and compete at welterweight again.
Meanwhile, on Stevenson’s undercard, his good friend and former WBO lightweight ruler Keyshawn Davis announced he was a threat to the super lightweight throne by defeating Jamaine Ortiz in the co-main event of the event.
As a result, Davis was named the WBO’s number one contender in that division, as predicted by Stevenson, who planned to allow Davis to fight for the belt after the holidays and return to lightweight.
But the WBC’s decision killed that idea and opened the door to a scenario in which Stevenson could be ordered to defend his up-to-date title against a fighter he had previously declared he would not fight unless he was offered $500 million.
“I understand how you might feel when you don’t understand someone’s relationship with someone, but this is my brother, my right hand man. Why I’m putting on a show in front of you, why I’m fighting with my brother in front of the world, it could screw up our relationship, because at the end of the day, I’m competitive as hell, he’s competitive as hell, and there has to be a winner and a loser.
“I ain’t gonna let niggas beat me, I don’t care who it is. So ultimately that would come between me and his relationship. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.”
“Unless mother**** gives us $500 million or some crazy shit that will feed our families for the rest of our lives and generations to come, I don’t care.” [about fighting Keyshawn]it is what it is.”
Fortunately for Stevenson, time is on his side as the WBO is unlikely to order this fight any time soon, and Davis is not expected to stay at 140 pounds long enough to be ticketed.
Instead, Davis is believed to move up to welterweight after calling for a fight with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney immediately following his victory over Ortiz.