Immediately following his silver medal finish in the 2016 Olympic Games, Shakur Stevenson refused to take on innocuous competition as a pro. Thus far, his need to face off against the best fighters in the world has ushered him into the pugilistic spotlight.
With multiple championship trinkets spread across two separate weight classes, Stevenson’s unified run at 130-pounds came to an unexpected end. Fresh off a career-best showing against Oscar Valdez, Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) attempted to defend his WBC and WBO super featherweight titles against Robson Conceicao. However, after failing to make weight, Stevenson opted to ditch the 130-pound division in lieu of greener pastures at 135.
While he hasn't officially made his lightweight debut, Stevenson has brazenly stated he would welcome a showdown against current undisputed titlist, Devin Haney. In what could ultimately help facilitate his wishes, Stevenson was given a clear path to achieve his lofty goals.
As the WBC convention continues to move forward, a slew of bouts was recently ordered. Amongst them, a WBC title eliminator between Stevenson and Isaac Cruz was officially penciled in.
Although the dynamic star would much rather take on Haney, he openly revealed that he would be more than willing to face Cruz, or anyone else for that matter.
“I don’t duck and dodge anybody,” said Stevenson on his social media account when asked if he’ll fight Cruz.
After presenting Gervonta Davis with a tougher-than-expected bout in December of 2021, Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) saw his stock rise meteorically. The 24-year-old has since parlayed his star-making performance into back-to-back victories over Yuriokis Gamboa and Eduardo Ramirez.
With the WBC interim crown draped across his shoulders, the Mexican product has lobbied for a showdown against Haney or a seemingly more lucrative rematch against Davis. Yet, despite his wishes, the come-forward slugger could be forced to take on Stevenson on his way to a matchup against Haney.