Shakur Stevenson gets a huge vote of confidence from legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum. The 92-year-old, who's been in the business since 1966, thinks the current lightweight champion can't be beaten in his division.
Arum knows what he's talking about. He's promoted some of the biggest names in boxing history, including Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tyson Fury, and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Stevenson, a 27-year-old from Newark, has already made a big splash in the sport. He's a three-division champion and is known for his defensive skills. CompuBox even calls him the least hittable fighter in boxing.
The young champ recently won the vacant WBC lightweight belt by beating Edwin De Los Santos and successfully defended it against Artem Harutyunyan. But some fans haven't been thrilled with his recent performances, calling them less than entertaining. Stevenson has promised more action as he faces tougher opponents.
When asked about Stevenson's potential WBA Lightweight World Title defence against William Zepeda, Arum didn't hold back:
"I don't think Zepeda is anywhere near as good as Shakur. I think Shakur beats everybody at 135 that's been mentioned."
Arum did mention one possible exception:
"Maybe if Lomachenko keeps fighting, Loma would make a tremendous match-up with him. But other than that I don't see anybody with the skills to face and beat Shakur."
Stevenson was set to defend his title against Joe Cordina, but that fight got cancelled due to a hand injury he suffered while sparring. He's now expected to face William Zepeda, the number one contender, in February after he recovers.
In a surprising move, Stevenson recently left Arum's promotion and signed a three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. Despite this change, Arum's high opinion of Stevenson's skills hasn't wavered.
With such high praise from a boxing legend, all eyes will be on Stevenson when he returns to the ring. Will he live up to Arum's unbeatable label? Only time will tell.
