Although he may not currently have the same pay-per-view draw as some of his lightweight rivals, WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is rightfully considered amongst the top pound-for-pound talents in the sport. As he seeks to grow both his name and his legacy, the three-division conqueror has signed a contract to work with Matchroom Boxing, and promoter Eddie Hearn has now revealed the length of the deal.
Despite being recognised for his undeniable talent, Stevenson has received criticism in recent contests for not being willing to push for the knockout and instead being content to win fights on the cards. His lightweight title victory over Edwin De Los Santos should have been a coronation for one of America’s brightest superstars, but it was instead tainted by an unwanted punch record, that prompted those in attendance to leave before the final bell.
The disappointment that followed caused Stevenson to briefly retire from the sport last year, but he returned to action in a first defence of the belt last month and comfortably outpointed Artem Harutyunyan in his hometown of Newark in a unanimous-decision victory.
Now Stevenson is attempting to take over the 135lb scene and it has been announced that he has signed with Matchroom Boxing to make the biggest fights happen and that he will appear on the much-lauded Beterbiev-Bivol undercard in a showdown with two-time super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina. On Matchroom’s website, Stevenson looked forward to an ‘unstoppable’ partnership.
“I am ready to start this next chapter of my career, and it begins on October 12 with Joe Cordina on the stacked Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia,”
“I’ve made it clear that I want the biggest names and the biggest fights in the sport. Bring on William Zepeda at the top of 2025 and I’m ready for anyone who is brave enough to step in the ring with me. There have been few willing to take on that challenge in recent years.
“With Matchroom and Riyadh Season, I am teaming up with a promotional force that matches my world class talent. We will be unstoppable in and out of the ring, and I will continue to show my dominance for many years to come in the sport of boxing.”
Whilst Stevenson’s signature in undoubtedly a significant one, it was disregarded by most amidst rumours that it was a one-fight deal to aid the making of the Cordina fight – who is also promoted by Eddie Hearn’s firm. However, in an interview with Boxing Scene, Hearn shut down those claims and revealed that Stevenson has actually agreed to two bouts under his promotional banner.
“The first step of the plan is Joe Cordina, on October 12, and if he’s victorious there, Zepeda in February, and then we’ll go from there,”
“It’s a two-fight deal for us to get our teeth into the relationship; to show Shakur what we can do, and to build his profile into, probably, a Gervonta Davis fight next summer if he keeps winning.
“[The Zepeda fight] could be in the US. It could be in Riyadh as well. His first fight is in Riyadh Season, October 12, obviously it’s a fight that would make sense in the US, but we’re open to any site fees for that fight.
William Zepeda is positioned as the number one contender with all four sanctioning bodies in the lightweight division and had previously ‘verbally agreed’ to take on Stevenson. Yet, it has recently emerged that the Mexican wishes for more preparation time, meaning he and Stevenson will likely meet in Spring 2025, if the champion manages to overcome Cordina without any major hiccups.
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