“No, I don’t really care,” Shakur Stevenson told The Agnew Project when asked if he would be interested in becoming the undisputed welterweight. “It is what it is,” Shakur said when told the belts would be diluted at 140 pounds.

“It’s because you have to realize that with the uncontested thing, everything is situational. If someone is in the right situation, they can be uncontested and it can be any player,” Stevenson said.

“I think it’s a situational thing. It’s good to have achievements, but what do we do with them now? Do we just say we have them?”

These comments immediately opened the door to criticism, as a Teofimo Lopez fight appears to be an advantageous situation for Shakur compared to other possible routes at 140 pounds.

Teofimo is still highly regarded and holds the WBC title, but his form since moving up to welterweight in 2022 has been inconsistent. Many fans believed that Sandor Martin deserved such a decision. Jamaine Ortiz gave him grave problems with movement and counter-punching, and Steve Claggett was able to pressure him in a way that raised fresh questions about Teofimo’s consistency at this weight.

That’s why some fans see Teofimo as an easier path to the championship than players like Gary Antuanne Russell or Keyshawn Davis.

Russell would likely force Shakur into a much more complex physical fight based on pressure, volume and punching power. Keyshawn, whom Shakur often calls his “brother,” brings size and physicality that many believe could make for some tough times over the course of 12 rounds.

Instead, Shakur appears to be focusing on business fights that carry greater financial rewards and less physical risk versus reward. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Conor Benn, Lamont Roach and Raymond Muratalla have been mentioned as possible targets.

Even the Crawford connections fit easily into Shakur’s argument. Terence Crawford won the undisputed super middleweight championship against Canelo Alvarez in what many fans thought was the perfect moment. Before losing to Crawford, Canelo was collecting and defending belts without fighting David Benavidez, David Morrell, Osleys Iglesias, Christian Mbilli, Diego Pacheco, Lester Martinez or Hamzah Sheeraz.

That’s why Shakur’s comments stand out. He may have provided one of the more truthful descriptions of state-of-the-art boxing. Stripes still matter, but timing, partner selection, business value and stylistic convenience increasingly determine who has a chance to become undisputed.

Liam Cameron is working with a sports psychologist in hopes of strengthening his already robust mindset ahead of his lithe heavyweight clash with Brad Rea.

Anyone who knows Yorkshireman’s story he will know that reaching this stage in his life required considerable strength and perseverance, not to mention a boxing career.

Because of this, Cameron knows how incredibly crucial it is to maintain a robust attitude, especially in a sport like boxing.

By hiring a sports psychologist, the 35-year-old could gain a fresh perspective on the fear factor surrounding his chosen profession.

And this, as he tells Boxing News, only allowed him to better understand the reasons why he decided to practice the most hard sport.

“As humans, we complicate things. Our minds get carried away, we think about everything too much.

“As boxers, we have to have a surfer’s mindset: we can’t predict what waves will come, but we have to ride the wave when it comes. We can’t think, ‘Oh, this wave is too huge.’

“[The sports psychologist] he sent me a video [actor] Will Smith jumping out of a plane. Nobody forces Will Smith to get on a plane – just like in boxing, nobody forces us to fight.

“But all this fear accumulates in our head, and once we jump, the fear disappears.

“So, [working with a mindset coach has] It made me realize that I only box because I love it.”

Cameron still recalls his passion for the sport, but he’s still riding the wave of his points victory over Troy Jones in November.

It was quite a questionable result and perhaps not his best performance, but Cameron is gaining confidence because he was able to cope with the task after his injury.

“I took the fight on four weeks’ notice and got really badly injured. Being the person I am, I thought, ‘There are levels to this game. I can still beat this guy.’

“So I got into the ring, not being able to hit any huge shots or move my head, and I worked tough for myself. But if I can do that while properly injured, what will I be like now?”

“It was a trapped nerve in the shoulder joint, but it was pulling at my neck. Not many people would go through a struggle with that feeling.”

Indeed, Cameron is able to overcome the pain barrier more than most, even if it means performing a more menial task.

However, having fully recovered from his injury, the former Commonwealth champion is now determined to showcase his technical skills against Rei.

The two opponents will face each other on May 9, appearing on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, where Cameron expects to take full advantage of Rei’s alleged defensive shortcomings.

“We did a lot of southpaw sparring this camp because we know Brad likes change [stances].

“But I grew up in Sheffield, where fighters are often southpaws, so I actually prefer it [fighting] southpaws.

“I think Brad has the heart of a lion when he boxes, but I think that makes him not as good as he should be. He just ends up swinging because he wants to win so bad.”

Believing he is a level above, Cameron expects to convincingly defeat Rhea, the former European champion, yet he is prepared for waves of all shapes and sizes.

Terence Crawford’s reaction to the announcement of Errol Spence Jr.’s return it was low, but a standout from a player who could have permanently changed the direction of Spence’s career.

Spence will return on July 25 against Tim Tszyu in Australia, more than two years after Crawford stopped him in the ninth round of their undisputed welterweight fight in 2023. Since then, Spence has remained out of the spotlight and Crawford added another major achievement by defeating Canelo Alvarez before retiring last December.

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Last update: 2026/05/06 at 18:42