Stevenson's career so far has been impressive. He's won world titles at featherweight and super-featherweight before moving up to lightweight in 2023. At 135 pounds, he quickly grabbed the WBC title.
The young champion was set to defend his belt against Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia last October. But a hand injury that needed surgery forced him to cancel the fight. Now, Stevenson's looking to get back in the ring in early 2025.
At first, it seemed like William Zepeda, the mandatory challenger, would be Stevenson's next opponent. But that fight likely fell through due to Zepeda's injury. Now, unbeaten Floyd 'Kid Austin' Schofield is the name being mentioned for Stevenson's return.
Stevenson's style has made him a tough nut to crack. He's got good eyes, strong legs, fast hands, and controls the range well. But Teddy Atlas thinks there's one fighter who might have what it takes to beat him.
In a recent interview with ProBoxTV, Atlas said:
"He is probably the only guy I can think of beating Shakur right now, because Shakur is that difficult right now 'cause of his style, his eyes, legs, his hand speed, the way he controls range. Tank Davis is the only man I can see that can possibly decipher that style."
Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, the WBA lightweight champion, is the man Atlas thinks can solve the Stevenson puzzle. There's been talk of a unification showdown between the two, but it hasn't happened yet.
Davis is set to fight again in March. He hasn't named his opponent yet, but he's promised to win by knockout. If Atlas is right, a fight between Davis and Stevenson could be one of the most exciting matchups in boxing.