While free agent Shakur Stevenson has not yet made up his mind as far as who he may sign a deal with – be it Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, Oscar De La Hoya, and Golden Boy, or Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions – the unbeaten southpaw does have his eye on a few fights, with one, in particular, being a fight he feels “would bring out the best in me.”
Speaking with DAZN over the weekend, a beaming Stevenson said he loves that “everybody is out after me” and is trying to get him to put pen to paper and sign a promotional deal. Stevenson said he is only interested in the biggest fights, and he listed a few names: William Zepeda, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, and Vasiliy Lomachenko. The likelihood of any of these fights getting made will depend mainly on who Shakur signs up with. Stevenson said he hasn’t made his mind up yet, but he seems keen to get it on with Zepeda, a Golden Boy fighter.
“Zepeda is a hell of a fighter,” Shakur said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in the ring in my professional career with a fighter like that. He throws a bunch of punches. He’s great with his own style, and a guy like that will bring the best out of me.”
So, might Stevenson be leaning towards signing with De La Hoya and Golden Boy? Maybe. Indeed, Stevenson, labeled a “boring fighter” by numerous critics, would not have been involved in a dull fight if he had fought Zepeda. As Stevenson said, Zepeda “throws a bunch of punches.” This would not change if Zepeda got it on with Shakur.
Stevenson, 22-0(10) may not have thrilled fight fans in his last couple of fights, but his sheer class and his skill is evident to all. Against the right guy, a fighter who pushes him hard and makes him dig in and fight, Stevenson could send us all home happy. And maybe William Zepeda, 31-0(27), is the right guy for the lightweight slickster.
Stevenson can expect to make a decision soon regarding who his next promoter will be. It’s time for Shakur to give the paying fans his best stuff, and for that, he needs the right dance partner (s).
