Shakur Stevenson, the unbeaten WBC lightweight champion, doesn't want to fight Jadier Herrera. Stevenson dismissed Herrera's callout, saying he's only interested in big names.
Herrera, a 22-year-old undefeated southpaw, recently put on a brutal performance in Liverpool. He stopped Enrique Enriquez in the seventh round, showcasing serious power in both hands. After the fight, Herrera called out Stevenson.
"Maybe the next fight is in Saudi Arabia. I'm ready for the people. My next opponent may be Shakur Stevenson. I don't know. Send me the contract. I'm 100% ready."
Stevenson quickly dismissed the idea, claiming he's only interested in fighting big names. This response has led some boxing fans to speculate that Stevenson might be avoiding a tough challenge.
The situation brings back memories of Stevenson's tough loss to Cuban southpaw Robeisy Ramirez at the 2016 Olympics. Stevenson left the ring emotional, struggling to process the defeat.
Dan Rafael, a respected boxing analyst, offered his perspective:
"Stevenson has been in with great fighters, but his worst loss was to a Cuban. If there's any hesitation, you can understand why."
Stevenson's reasoning doesn't quite add up. He claims to want major fights, but he was willing to face the unknown Josh Padley recently. This inconsistency raises questions about his true motivations.
Herrera isn't backing down. He criticized Stevenson's style and expressed his readiness for the fight:
"He just wants to score points, but I hit to knock out. Send me the contract. I'm not here to play. I will kill you. Don't play with me."
Right now, Stevenson seems focused on bigger names like Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, or a unification bout. But if Herrera keeps knocking out opponents, Stevenson might not be able to ignore him forever. And if he does take the fight, it could be his toughest test yet.
