Shakur Stevenson has shocked the boxing scene by declaring he’s hanging up his gloves after a seven-year stint throwing punches for pay. The chatter on X is ablaze, with fans speculating whether Stevenson’s exit from the ring will outlast Teofimo Lopez’s quickstep retirement jig.
At the ripe age of 26, with an unbeaten record (21-0, 10 KOs), Stevenson isn’t spilling the beans on why he’s bowing out. Buzz around the grapevine suggests he’s miffed about missing out on bouts with Vasily Lomachenko and Emanuel Navarrete, both of whom seem to have sidestepped a showdown.
Lomachenko’s got a date with George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight crown on May 12. Hot off the press, Navarrete’s squaring off against Denys Berinchyk for the WBO’s vacant 135-pound title. Stevenson aired his grievances on X, stating, “I’m officially retiring from the sport of boxing. I’ll be in the gym forever perfecting my craft and helping the next generation become great and chase their dreams, but I ain’t messing with this weak boxing game 💪🏾.”
Devin Haney’s leap to 140, dodging a defense against Stevenson, has left many thinking Haney wanted no part of Stevenson’s tricky arsenal.
Had Stevenson not thrown in the towel, his first title defense would likely be against a lesser-known contender. The WBC’s top 15 at lightweight doesn’t offer much glamour outside of names like Raymond Muratalla, Edwin De Los Santos (in a potential rematch), Zaur Abdullaev, Artem Harutyunyan, and Shuichiro Yoshino.
Muratalla, known for his knockout power and pinpoint accuracy, could’ve been Stevenson’s dance partner, courtesy of Top Rank. That fight would be no walk in the park.
Facing Muratalla wouldn’t be a rerun of the De Los Santos bout. Muratalla would be in there swinging for the fences, forcing Stevenson to possibly up his backpedal game more than ever. After citing an injury for not standing toe-to-toe with De Los Santos, Stevenson’s cornered. Ducking Muratalla and playing the injury card again would only tarnish his rep.
Stepping away from the ring might just be Stevenson’s best move to avoid a potential reputation hit.
‼️ Shakur Stevenson claiming he’s now retiring from boxing after hearing that the WBO have ordered Emanuel Navarrete vs Denys Berinchyk for the vacant WBO lightweight world title. Shakur had previously called out Navarrete to challenge him for his WBC belt. pic.twitter.com/ybmi6YPNf6
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 30, 2024