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Boxing

Shakur Stevenson hopes to fight Gervonta 'Tank' Davis and one more former champion in 2023

DAZN
Shakur Stevenson hopes to fight Gervonta 'Tank' Davis and one more former champion in 2023GettyImages

Shakur Stevenson has lined up two of the most dangerous lightweights in the division for the coming year.

Stevenson made his last appearance in 2022 by going over the super featherweight limit of 130lb as he admitted he would no longer be competing at the weight, giving up his titles in the process.

He has since trained his sights on the 135lb division.

"It was a great year. I had one little hiccup with not making weight. I still don't like it but I can't dwell on it," Stevenson said to Sky Sports. "It will never happen again in my career."

Stevenson beat Oscar Valdez earlier in 2022, and he noted it as his biggest achievement of the year.

He continued: "He was the name that everybody saw, a world champion who beat a bunch of different people and defended his title several times. I don't think I got the credit I deserved for that, with him being an undefeated dude in his prime whupping guys.

"Knocking [Miguel] Berchelt out was a highlight of his career and I think just doing that when Berchelt was the man to beat, he was the champion, you've got to respect Valdez overall.

"I think that was a very underrated performance. I don't think I got the credit I deserve. It is what it is. I'm still working. I'm going to kick the door down."

Stevenson revealed that he was struggling to find opponent for his debut as a lightweight contender.

"We already looked for some top guys at lightweight and actually they turned me down already," he said. "Guys like Isaac Cruz turned me down, that's a top guy that fought 'Tank' [Gervonta Davis].

"It's real weird that they would turn down a guy that never fought one fight at 135lbs. It is what it is, we're not tripping."

Nonetheless, he expects to swiftly move on to a title challenge, with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko his other options.

"I don't have to wait too long. Maybe one fight then fight for the title," he said. "I'd fight for the title next if I could.

"The top people are all busy right now. Devin [Haney] is going to fight [Vasiliy] Lomachenko. 'Tank' has got two fights coming up. So obviously we can't make those fights right now so I'll go for the next available option.

"Jamaine Ortiz is on the list. I know him personally.

"He did real good with Lomachenko. He just was a frontrunner. I'm not taking anything away from him. I already know he's a tough fight for whoever. He's a big 135lbs.

"He's a frontrunner, I think the first six rounds he's going to start off blazing hot. Then the next six he dies down.

"The world would like to see it just based off what he did with Lomachenko. But Lomachenko is a older guy, he's slowly going down. I'm like a young killer. It's not going to be the same type of thing if we do fight."

"I'll probably fight Lomachenko. That could be after he fights Haney I think that me and him could fight. I know Devin plans on going to 140lbs.

"I'll probably fight him for a vacant title.

"After [Lomachenko] I want to fight 'Tank. I want to fight 'Tank,' that's who I would fight after Lomachenko, if I could pick my year.

"I think that I'll be fighting for top three on the pound-for-pound list. I just know I'm going to be one of the best young fighters, which I am, in the sport of boxing. But I'm going to take my career to new heights. I'm ready for the big pay-per-view fights, I'm ready to see the big names. I don't want to come to this division and not fight the people that are supposed to be the people.

"I'm locked in, I'm going to show everybody why I'm the truth."

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