Shakur Stevenson has pulled out of his WBC Lightweight World Title defense against Joe Cordina. The fight was set for October 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but Stevenson hurt his hand during training.
Matchroom, who's promoting the event, said Stevenson tore a tendon in his knuckle while sparring. He's had surgery right away and should be back in the ring early next year.
This fight was going to be Stevenson's first under his new deal with Matchroom. The 27-year-old from Newark had just signed on for his next two fights after leaving Top Rank, where he'd been for a long time.
Stevenson won the vacant WBC Lightweight World Title last November when he beat Edwin De Los Santos. He defended it successfully for the first time two months ago against Artem Harutyunyan. That fight showed off Stevenson's skills, but he hurt both hands in the process.
The three-weight world champion has gotten some criticism for playing it safe in the ring. He's really hard to hit, which is great for him but can make for less action-packed fights. Stevenson knows this and has promised fans he'll step it up against tougher opponents.
Cordina, a former super-featherweight world champion, will have to wait for his shot at Stevenson's belt. The fight was supposed to be part of a big card in Saudi Arabia, headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.
Eddie Hearn and Matchroom will be looking to reschedule this fight when Stevenson's ready. If that doesn't work out, William Zepeda is the number one contender and could be next in line. There's also talk about a possible unification fight with Gervonta Davis down the road.
Stevenson's aiming to get back in the ring early in 2025. He's moved up from featherweight through super-featherweight and now he's trying to make his mark in the lightweight division.