Shakur Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champion, has cleared the air about his promotional situation. The unbeaten fighter from Newark, New Jersey, addressed rumors that he'd split from Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.
Stevenson's clarification comes after a successful title defense on February 22 against last-minute replacement Josh Padley. That fight marked his first under the Matchroom banner following a cancelled bout with Joe Cordina due to Stevenson's injury.
Recently, Stevenson's next title defense was announced. He'll face William Zepeda on July 12 as part of a Ring Magazine card, co-featuring Edgar Berlanga vs Hamzah Sheeraz.
But rumors started swirling when boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported that Stevenson had split with Matchroom in favor of promoter Lou DiBella. The 27-year-old champion quickly addressed these claims.
In an interview with The Danza Project, Stevenson stated:
"I mean I try not to get too much into contracts but after this I'll be free to do whatever I want."
This statement reveals that Stevenson will become a free agent after the Zepeda fight, which will be his second and final bout under the Matchroom deal.
Stevenson's career has seen him work with different promoters. He started with Top Rank before moving to Matchroom Boxing. Eddie Hearn has expressed interest in extending their partnership, but Stevenson's future promotional home remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, boxing fans are eyeing a potential clash between Stevenson and Gervonta Davis, the reigning WBA lightweight champion. However, Davis is looking at a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr and a possible sideshow fight with Jake Paul. Many fans don't expect to see Stevenson vs Davis happen this year.
For now, all eyes are on Stevenson's upcoming title defense against Zepeda on July 12. After that, the boxing world will watch closely to see where the undefeated champion's career path leads.
