It was highly anticipated and now it's reportedly confirmed.
According to ESPN, Jamel Herring and Shakur Stevenson have signed their contracts for their 130-pound title fight and the bout will reportedly take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Oct. 23. Stevenson seemingly confirmed the report with a pair of tweets Thursday.
With Herring being the WBO junior lightweight world champion and Stevenson owning the WBO interim junior lightweight title, the bout only makes sense. Plus, the bout has been bubbling up to this point. After coasting to a unanimous decision shutout of Jeremiah Nakathila in June, Stevenson didn't hesitate to assert that Herring isn't on his level.
"If I had the choice, I'll take Oscar Valdez, but if I got to beat up Jamel to get to it, I'll do that, too," Stevenson said following that victory at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. "Jamel can't beat me. Jamel know what it is."
Herring, who was in attendance for the fight, fired back, saying: "I know that everyone wants that fight next, of course, but I'm not coming like Frankenstein with heavy feet in the ring."
The undefeated 24-year-old Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs) sparred with former junior welterweight world champion Regis Prograis on Wednesday in preparation for the Herring tilt.
Gervonta "Tank" Davis has made State Farm Arena in Atlanta a boxing hotbed, having won two of his last three fights there, including an 11th-round TKO of Mario Barrios before a raucous crowd there in June.