The days of Shakur Stevenson squeezing down his ever-growing frame to the 130-pound limit are officially behind him. After failing to make weight, and subsequently losing WBO and WBC super featherweight titles as a result, Stevenson, following his masterful performance against Robson Conceicao, announced that moving forward, he will now compete as a full-fledged lightweight.
Although the former Olympic silver medalist would rather face off against Devin Haney, the lightweight division’s undisputed champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko is on the verge of landing that very bout next.
In the meanwhile, Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) is attempting to solidify himself as the next viable contender. In an effort to help facilitate his championship dreams, the WBC sanctioning body has ordered their former champion to enter a title eliminator. Though he’s up for a challenge, Stevenson has been unable to land a suitable dance partner.
With countless big-name contenders opting against taking him on, Stevenson could eventually find himself standing across the ring from Jamaine Ortiz. Having watched him carefully over the years, both as a pro and amateur, Stevenson admits that he has nothing but respect for him.
“I give him credit,” said Stevenson during an interview on Ringside Views. “In the amateurs, he fought everybody.”
Further backing his point, as a professional thus far, Ortiz has taken on all-comers. After springing the upset victory over former 130-pound champion Jamel Herring, Ortiz parlayed that victory into a showdown against Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Pegged as a significant underdog on the night, Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) brushed off his naysayers and fought the fight of his life. At times, he flustered the Ukrainian star, using bemusing angles and a high work rate to nab several clear rounds. Although the 26-year-old was convinced that he did more than enough to secure the victory, he was ultimately left despondent as Lomachenko was handed a fairly wide unanimous decision win.
With Ortiz becoming a distinct possibility for his next ring appearance, Stevenson believes that his American rival is being perceived a bit differently. Although he tips his cap to Ortiz for his latest performance, Stevenson is of the belief that Lomachenko’s overall skillset is underwhelming, leading to a misconception of Ortiz's ability.
“He’s not skillful, he’s tough," said Stevenson of Ortiz. "It may have looked like he’s a little skillful with Lomachenko but that’s because Lomachenko is limited in skills his damn self.”
