Shakur Stevenson is one of the best boxers of the current generation, having held multiple world championships in his career so far, including an Olympic silver medal. He holds a perfect undefeated record of 21 wins and no losses, having been on a constant uphill trajectory ever since he made his debut.
Now already being respected and recognized as a legitimate threat to even the top names in boxing, Stevenson looks to etch his name in history books by going after the best boxing has to offer him.
Shakur Stevenson wants to replace Ryan Garcia to fight Devin Haney
In his last appearance, Stevenson defeated Edwin De Los Santos via unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC lightweight championship. Ever since, he has talked about moving up in weight and competing for the WBC Junior Welterweight Championship, which is currently held by Devin Haney.
With the massive fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia now official for April 20th, Stevenson has made efforts to gain traction from the audience as well as the two mega boxers involved. Especially with the recent controversies Garcia has been a part of, the bout with Haney has seemingly come under risk, putting Stevenson in a unique spot. He spared no time in putting his name in the box to be a replacement for Ryan Garcia in case he has to pull out.
Stevenson is not wrong in claiming that a bout between him and Haney would also be a huge sellout, as they both would have to put their undefeated records at stake for a spectacular showing.
Devin Haney’s father rages at Shakur Stevenson’s actions
Although Stevenson’s wish to step in for Garcia has gained a lot of attention from fans, it also led to a statement from Devin Haney’s father, Bill Haney. He shut down the claims of Stevenson, stating that he’s not deserving enough to go up against his son. Bill Haney reasoned his argument by saying, “He hasn’t fought anybody who we feel like we cannot beat,” and also criticized his last performance, claiming that he exposed “a lot of holes” in his fighting style.
No one can forecast what the near future looks like with the huge fight between Haney and Ryan at risk, but it is certain enough that Stevenson has proven his caliber to be right at the top with the elites and deserves to be part of major bouts.
