New WBO super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson followed up an impressive victory by calling for a unification bout against WBC titlist Oscar Valdez.
Stevenson stopped experienced fighter Jamel Herring in the 10th round after impressing throughout, taking the fight to his opponent as he said he would.
Speaking after the fight, Stevenson made it clear that he sees Valdez as his next fight.
“There’s only one fight left,” claimed Stevenson after the fight. “It’s the biggest fight at the end of the day. Oscar {Valdez} can’t keep ducking. It’s time for him to fight. There’s nothing else to look forward to. The 130-pound division needs to unify. Let’s get it.
“I want to be a superstar in the sport. I’m here to last. I take my craft very seriously. I’m disciplined. My mindset was, ‘I’m going in there to take the belt. I’m not going to make this close or make it what they expect it to be."
The 26-year-old American explained his approach to his older rival.
“I wanted to dominate. And I dominate all my fights, and nothing is going to change with anybody in front of me. I don’t care who it is,” he said. “That’s what I was thinking in the fight,” said Stevenson about him remembering during the fight how people had said he was boring. “I was thinking, ‘I’m not going to back up.’
“There were times where he tried to pick it up on me. I’m like, ‘Okay, And I’m still going to stay here. And I’m not going to go nowhere. I’m going to stand my ground, and when it’s time, I’m going to pick it back up on him.’”