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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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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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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’

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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: “This is going to sound mad”

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to face each other later this year in what could be one of the biggest British boxing events of all time.

Another British legend, Naseem Hamed, presented the course of the fight in a surprising way.

Fury had his ring returned within a a decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this monthshaking off ring rust at the age of 37 and allegedly preparing for a showdown with Joshua that the “Gypsy King” was set to take place this summer.

However, ‘AJ’ instead maintained that he would prefer a warm-up fight first, with the Londoner expected to return to action in July, ahead of a long-awaited meeting with his arch-rival in November.

I’m talking to talkSPORT BoxingHamed was looking forward to this match and suggested that a draw could be on the cards.

“Who do I think will win the fight between AJ and Fury? Well, that is the question and everyone wants to know.

“Years ago, Tyson had this awkward style for me where he could make AJ look stupid, that’s true. Now everything has changed. Tyson seemed to have backed off a little bit.

“But with Tyson Fury you never know, maybe one night he’ll show up and box amazingly and do what he did to Wilder. Those first few rounds [against Makhmudov]I was a little disappointed that he didn’t go from the start.

“This is going to sound crazy to you, but would it be unbelievable if I said it could be a draw?”

It is unclear whether Fury will also fight in the summer or whether he will avoid risking a lucrative romance with Joshua and wait patiently on the sidelines.

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