Shakur Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) is a name at the top of boxing at the moment, following his decisive win against Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) at Madison Square Garden in New York. This victory saw Stevenson win The Ring and WBO super lightweight titles. He was also recently stripped of his WBC lightweight belt, which has left many speculating what he will do next. In an interview with NewBettingOffers, former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi made a bold claim about opponents who could potentially test Stevenson.
Shakur Stevenson becomes four-weight world champion
Stevenson was exemplary on January 31 against Lopez. He quickly got into his groove, working impressively off his jab, controlling the tempo of the fight. Whenever Lopez got close, Stevenson swiftly got back in the ascendancy, slipping punches and countering with intent; it really was a joy to watch for the boxing purist.
Lopez couldn’t gain any kind of a foothold in the fight, with Shakur fully deserving his victory, with the scorecards reading 119-109 x3.
Malignaggi feels Shakur Stevenson is better than the rest
When asked if there is anyone who can beat Stevenson, Malignaggi said:
“No, I don’t think anyone can beat Shakur Stevenson. Him and Keyshawn Davis would be a good fight, though. But I would still rate Shakur, but I don’t see that fight happening anytime soon.”
The future for Stevenson
After the Lopez win, the future for Shakur Stevenson looks brighter than ever. Losing the lightweight title seems to suggest that Stevenson will stay at 140. A unification fight against Dalton Smith could be intriguing, as would facing the winner of Gary Antuanne Russell vs Andy Hiraoka, or the IBF champion Richardson Hitchins.
Raymond Muratalla has also expressed a desire to face Stevenson at 135 or 140. Muratalla-Stevenson would be an intriguing clash of styles. Straight after the win against Lopez, Shakur called out Conor Benn for a fight at 147.
Who should Shakur Stevenson face next?