Shakur Stevenson appeared to post a self-motivational message on X to let fans know that he’s about to “lock back in” after enjoying his victory lap from his career-best win over William Zepeda last month in Queens.
Why Teofimo Lopez Has Gone Quiet
The fight that Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) hoped to have next against Teofimo Lopez doesn’t look like it’s happening. Teo has gone quiet, likely because he recognized the hopeless situation he’d have been in if he’d fought Stevenson on one of Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season cards.
The way that the judges scored Shakur’s fight against the highly volume-punching Zepeda (32-1, 27 KOs), in which he was outlanded in every round by the Mexican sluggers, showed what Lopez would be up against if he fought the Newark, New Jersey native.
Mayweather-Esque Scoring
Shakur is getting the old Mayweather treatment with the scoring now. That means he can’t be beaten by a decision by anyone on the planet, no matter how badly he’s outlanded. Judges love that retro Mayweather-esque style.
Zepeda riddled Shakur with shots all night long, yet found himself on the receiving end of a lopsided 12-round decision. Teofimo likely saw the scoring for that fight and said to himsellf, ‘Forget this. I don’t want to get the Zepeda treatment.’
Stevenson hasn’t mentioned any other options. He’d been calling out Gervonta Davis for the last three years, but that’s not going to happen either. With Tank and Teofimo seemingly not an option, Shakur will likely turn his attention to lining up a fight against Lamont Roach Jr.
He was one of the three fighters on his hit list that he posted recently. The other is Andy Cruz, but Stevenson isn’t about to fight the talented 2020 Olympic gold medalist. #1 WBC-ranked Cruz can do everything Shakur can, but with more punching power.
Why Roach Jr. Won’t Sell PPV
The problem with using Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) as his opponent is that it’s not a fight that would sell on PPV. Unless Turki is willing to pay Shakur a goldmine worth of money for this fight, it’s not worth targeting. The reason is that you can’t take two defensive fighters and put them against each other. It’s poison for the eyes. Those fights don’t sell in this era of boxing, in which fans expect to be entertained.
If Turki could find a working time machine and place Shakur & Roach on board, he could send them back to the early 1990s before the invention of the Internet. Back then, fans had few options for entertainment, and they would put up with watching two defensive fighters battle in a chess match.
Stevenson needs someone that the public would care to see. He’d be fine if Turki is willing to finance the fight and place it on one of his undercards for a popular fighter. It’s not one that could headline.
Shakur’s Top Fight Options
- Andy Cruz
- Abdullah Mason
- Floyd Schofield Jr.
- Raymond Muratalla
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Richardson Hitchins
Time to lock back in champ, Let’s get it your dreams are getting closer then ever before👑 #ChasingLegacy
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 12, 2025
Last Updated on 08/12/2025
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