Shakur Stevenson has signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, leaving Bob Arum's Top Rank behind. The lightweight champion inked a three-fight deal with Matchroom, aiming to land bigger fights in his division.
Stevenson, now 27, talked to several promoters before making his choice. Top Rank made a big offer to keep him, but the young champ decided to go in a different direction.
Bob Arum, Stevenson's former promoter, shared his thoughts with Fight Hub TV. He had nothing but praise for Stevenson:
"Eddie used the Saudi money to sign Shakur. Shakur is a great fighter really a tremendous talent and I like him very much. We made a big offer to him which he turned down for whatever reason and I really wish him the best of luck, whether that's with Eddie Hearn or with another promoter that doesn't matter to me. Shakur is a tremendous tremendous talent and I want to see many more of his fights."
Stevenson's next fight will likely come in early 2025 against William Zepeda. Arum thinks it'll be an easy night for Stevenson:
"I don't think Zepeda is anywhere near as good as Shakur."
The young champ was set to face Joe Cordina in October, but a hand injury forced him to pull out.
Fans are eager to see Stevenson take on other top lightweights like Gervonta Davis. Arum believes Stevenson has the edge:
"I think Shakur beats everybody at 135 that's been mentioned. Maybe if Lomachenko keeps fighting, Loma could make a tremendous matchup with him, but other than that I don't see anybody with the skills to face and beat Shakur."
A fight between Davis and Lomachenko was expected this year but got cancelled when Lomachenko said he wasn't motivated for it. Now, with Stevenson at Matchroom, the lightweight division could see some fresh matchups in the coming months.
