Boxing Wire

Tag: Shakur Stevenson

  • Shakur Stevenson Finalizing Promotional Deal With Zuffa Boxing

    Shakur Stevenson Finalizing Promotional Deal With Zuffa Boxing

    Shakur Stevenson is finalizing a promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing following his dominant performance against Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden on January 31, a victory that captured The Ring and WBO super lightweight titles and positioned him as one of the sport’s elite fighters.

    Stevenson, 27, is 25-0 with 11 knockouts. His performance against Lopez was widely viewed as a career-defining statement, with the former Olympic silver medalist combining his exceptional defensive ability and sharp counterpunching to dismantle a fighter of genuine championship pedigree.

    The guaranteed money offered by Zuffa Boxing was reportedly a key factor in Stevenson’s decision to align with the promotion. The signing represents a significant addition to the Zuffa Boxing roster as the UFC-affiliated promotional company continues to build its stable of elite fighters in its first year of operation.

    Under the new deal, Stevenson is expected to move back down to the lightweight division at 135 pounds, returning to the weight class from which he was stripped of his WBC belt.

    Zuffa Boxing has been staging events at the Meta APEX on the UFC campus since its January launch, with cards headlined by names including Callum Walsh, but Stevenson’s arrival would represent the highest-profile signing the promotion has made to date.

  • Shakur Stevenson Calls Out Conor Benn Again: “Not on my level”

    Shakur Stevenson Calls Out Conor Benn Again: “Not on my level”

    Shakur Stevenson is not impressed with Conor Benn, and he wants to prove it in the ring.

    After Benn’s unanimous decision victory over Regis Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, WBO super lightweight champion Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) took aim at the British welterweight in an interview with Ariel Helwani. Stevenson had just dominated Teofimo Lopez on the same Netflix card and used his post-fight platform to call Benn out directly.

    “There’s a fighter in here right now, and he motivated me, too,” Stevenson said from the ring after his win. “Where’s Conor Benn? Hey Conor Benn, we can get it banging, boy.”

    Stevenson continued:

    “I’ve been told y’all I’m better than him. I’ve been told y’all he’s not on my level. I’ve been told y’all that his skills is not up to par with mine. Like I said, if he’s ready to fight, tell him to stop going on social media and making up lies, saying that I said, ‘Oh, I won’t fight that weight class.’ I said I will. I said, with a rehydration clause, because he did it to Eubank. He’s not on my level. I’ve been said this, and I will beat the holy sh*t out of Conor Benn.”

    Benn Fires Back

    Conor Benn has scoffed at the idea that Stevenson at his level.

    Back in January, following Shakur Stevenson’s decisive win over Teofimo Lopez, Stevenson called out Benn, who was ringside. “You’re too small for me, boy,” Benn repelied. “You’re tiny, bro. You can’t punch. You can’t keep me off you. I’ll fuck you up. I’ll put you down.”

    The exchange sets up an intriguing potential matchup between two of boxing’s most prominent young fighters. Stevenson holds the WBO belt at 140 pounds and has been looking for signature fights after his dominant win over Lopez. Benn, now a free agent at 29, is operating at 150 pounds and plans to campaign at welterweight going forward.

    A weight discrepancy could complicate negotiations. Stevenson has fought his career at junior welterweight and below, while Benn’s natural size gives him a clear physical advantage at 147.

    Still, Stevenson’s willingness to call out a bigger man speaks to his confidence after a career-best performance against Lopez.

    For now, Benn appears locked in on Garcia for a September WBC title fight. But if that matchup stalls in negotiations, Stevenson’s name will remain in the conversation as a high-profile alternative.

  • Roy Jones Jr: One Boxer Can Defeat Shakur Stevenson

    Roy Jones Jr: One Boxer Can Defeat Shakur Stevenson

    Roy Jones Jr. believes that there is one boxer who possesses the necessary skills to defeat Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson holds an undefeated record of 25-0 with 11 KOs. He is the current WBO and The Ring junior welterweight champion. ‘Sugar’ dethroned Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super-lightweight title in January,

    He picked up a unanimous decision victory over Lopez. Stevenson has progressed through multiple weight divisions, including featherweight, super featherweight, and lightweight.

    Roy Jones Jr.’s Analysis

    In an interview with FightHype, Roy Jones Jr. explained that, should Gervonta Davis drag Stevenson into a war, he has what it takes to hand him his first defeat.

    “Yep, [I agree that Davis is the only man that can beat Stevenson]. For Tank [Davis] to win it, he would need it to be Hagler-Hearns but for Shakur to win it, it would need to be [Salvador] Sanchez vs. [Wilfredo] Gomez.”

    Davis is yet to win a fight since June 2024 and he was also recently stripped of his WBA lightweight world title. 

    Jones Jr.’s opinion carries significant weight in the boxing world, given his legendary status as a former multi-division world champion.

    Possible Davis vs Stevenson?

    A dangerous puncher like Gervonta Davis could pose a serious threat if he turns the bout into a firefight but Stevenson’s composure and defensive mastery remain his biggest strengths.

    Ultimately, the outcome would likely depend on whether Stevenson can dictate the pace and keep the fight on his terms. If he does, there’s every reason to believe he can continue his dominant run and protect his undefeated record.