Shakur Stevenson could already be thinking about unfinished business at lightweight despite winning a world title at 140 earlier this year. The former WBC lightweight champion says he wants a fight against IBF belt-holder Raymond Muratalla, which would mean dropping back down to 135 after many assumed he was finished with the division.
Stevenson’s win over Teofimo Lopez gave him another title in a fourth weight class, but it also created confusion about where he plans to settle long term. After being stripped of his WBC lightweight title over unpaid sanctioning fees, it looked like Shakur was prepared to stay at 140 and possibly move higher later on.
A Muratalla fight changes the picture because it gives Shakur an immediate path back to a lightweight title without needing rebuilding fights or eliminators.
Shakur made it clear that he rates Muratalla highly and likes the matchup.
“I would love to make that fight happen,” said Shakur Stevenson to The Agnew’s podcast about a possible fight against Raymond Muratalla. “I think that Raymond Muratalla is a great fighter. I definitely see his game, where he does a lot of great things. He is long, tall, and he has got a great right hand.”
That praise was surprising because Shakur rarely gives his potential opponents much credit publicly. Muratalla’s size, reach, and right hand could make him one of the more difficult style matchups available at lightweight, especially for a fighter coming back down from 140.
Muratalla kept his IBF title earlier this year with a 12-round majority decision win over Andy Cruz, but his name has stayed quiet since then. The lightweight division has also become less crowded at the top after Shakur moved up, which makes this fight easier to make than some of the political fights that stalled in the past.
There is also a risk for Shakur in returning to 135. Moving back down after fighting at junior welterweight is never automatic, especially against a tall pressure fighter who throws volume and carries power late into fights.
A Muratalla fight may appeal to Shakur because it offers another title, another division checkpoint, and a chance to remind people he still sees himself as the top fighter at lightweight despite leaving the division earlier this year.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/07 at 12:00 PM
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