WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson put together his list of the top fighters in the 135-lb division and puts himself at the top of the tree above Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
Fans don’t view Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs) as #1, and many don’t view him as #2 or #3 because he doesn’t engage.
Stevenson’s Top 4 Lightweights
- Shakur Stevenson
- Gervonta Davis
- Vasily Lomachenko
- Edwin De Los Santos
“Top 5 lightweights right now,” said Shakur to Deep Cuts. “I’m #1. Tank #2, Lomachenko #3. This going to be a wild pick, and they going to think I’m on some BS. Edwin De Los Santos #4. I’m going to give you just give you top 4.”
It’s impossible to rank Shakur as the #1 lightweight because he’s never faced anyone good since moving up to 135 in April 2023. Shakur has fought just twice at lightweight, beating Shuichiro Yoshino and Edwin De Los Santos.
Against De Los Santos, Stevenson looked scared out of his wits, running virtually the entire fight and being booed nonstop by fans at ringside at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That was not a #1 lightweight type of performance from Shakur or anywhere close to the top 5.
Missing Ingredients for Lightweight Greatness
It’s impossible to be a top fighter at lightweight out without possessing these ingredients:
– Courage
– Willingness to engage
– Power
– Providing Entertainment
The true top lightweights possess bravery and are willing to stand and fight. Unfortunately, Shakur lacks the courage needed to be in the top four in the lightweight division, and he’s not entertaining at all to watch.
A More Realistic Top 10
- Gervonta Davis
- Vasily Lomachenko
- William Zepeda
- Abdullah Mason
- Raymond Muratalla
- Andy Cruz
- Floyd Schofield
- Denys Berinchyk
- Keyshawn Davis
- Mark Chamberlain
Stevenson’s last fight against Edwin De Los Santos on November 16, 2023, was close, with the vacant WBC lightweight title at stake. Disappointingly, Shakur spent much of the contest on the move, trying to avoid getting hit by the heavy puncher.
The 27-year-old Stevenson’s offense was limited to rare jabs, and many felt that he was given a gift 12-round unanimous decision based on his popularity. After the fight, Shakur blamed his poor performance on being injured, yet he didn’t choose to give De Los Santos a rematch.
Stevenson’s Upcoming Title Defense
Rather than do that, Stevenson is defending his newly won WBC 135-lb title against Artem Harutyunyan (13-1, 7 KOs) this Saturday, July 6th, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Hartuyunyan is coming off a year layoff and a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Frank Martin on July 15, 2023.
