At 23, Shakur Stevenson is one of the purest boxers in the sweet science today — a master of distance and as pointed of a puncher that the sport has to offer.
The former featherweight world champion will bring those skills into the ring Saturday night, when he faces Namibian contender Jeremiah Nakathila for the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight world title at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Former two-division world champ Jose Pedraza will clash with Julian Rodriguez as the co-feature.
The undefeated Stevenson is coming off a lopsided unanimous decision win over Toka Khan Clary in December.
A victory over Nakathila would make the Newark, New Jersey product a two-weight world champion.
"At the end of the day, I know that if I come at my best, there's nobody in the world that can beat me," Stevenson confidently said during a recent episode of Top Rank Certified.
The fact that he trains with WBO welterweight world champion Terence Crawford only fuels Stevenson's hunger further.
"I've seen him be great," Stevenson said of Crawford, "so I'm trying to do the same."
The next challenge in that upward trajectory is Nakathila, who will be making his United States debut. He's coming off a knockout victory against Emmanuel Amos in December as well.
Will Stevenson produce yet another boxing master class and get one step closer to challenging WBC junior lightweight champ Oscar Valdez or will Nakathila pull off what would be a shocking upset?
Here's everything you need to know about Stevenson vs. Nakathila for the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight title.
Stevenson vs. Nakathila start time
- Date: Saturday, June 12
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET/3 a.m. BST
- Main event: 12 a.m. ET/5 a.m. BST
The Stevenson vs. Nakathila main card kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/3 a.m. BST on Saturday night. Stevenson and Nakathila are expected to make their ring walks at approximately midnight, although that depends on the length of the earlier fights.
Stevenson vs. Nakathila TV channel and live stream
- ESPN/ESPN+
Boxing fans can watch Stevenson vs. Nakathila on ESPN or live stream it via ESPN+. Check ESPN's website/app for any geographical restrictions in your country.
Stevenson vs. Nakathila fight odds
Bet MGM has tabbed Stevenson as the massive favorite at -5000, meaning you'd need to bet $5,000 to win $100. Meanwhile, Nakathila is listed as a +1200 underdog, spelling that a $100 bet would net you $1,200 if the Namibian fighter pulls off the upset.
Stevenson record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Age: 23
- Height: 5-7
- Reach: 68 inches
- Total fights: 15
- Record: 15-0 with 8 KOs
Nakathila record and bio
- Nationality: Namibian
- Age: 31
- Height: N/A
- Reach: N/A
- Total fights: 22
- Record: 21-1 with 17 KOs
Stevenson vs. Nakathila full card
- Shakur Stevenson vs. Jeremiah Nakathila for the vacant WBO interim Junior Lightweight title
- Jose Pedraza vs. Julian Rodriguez; Junior Welterweights
- Xander Zayas vs. Larry Fryers; Welterweights
- Tyler McCreary vs. Manuel Rey Rojas; Junior lightweights
- John Bauza vs. Christon Edwards; Junior Welterweights
- Bryan Lua vs. Frevian Gonzalez; Junior Lightweights
- Troy Isley vs. LaQuan Evans; Middleweights
- Kasir Goldston vs. Maurice Anthony; Welterweights
- Jahi Tucker vs. Ysrael Barboza; Welterweights