Stevenson on moving up – “wanna have my own story at 130”

On Tuesday night Top Rank Boxing puts on the first significant United States fight card since the Covid-19 outbreak, and unbeaten up-and-coming Featherweight champ, Shakur Stevenson, will headline. And, Stevenson has made it clear in the build-up to fights resuming, that he’s already set his sights on leaving the Featherweight division behind.

Speaking with ESPN pre-fight and released on social media Monday afternoon, the soon-to-be 23 – year – old unbeaten WBO 126 lb. champion made it clear the Tuesday night’s fight will be the first of many steps up in weight:

.@ShakurStevenson wants to leave a legacy at junior lightweight, but won’t hesitate to move up for the right opponent. pic.twitter.com/f19XXt2dCA

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) June 8, 2020

“I know that there was (sic) a lot of people that was (sic) really good at 130 (pounds) before. I wanna have my own story that I had at 130, like I was one of the best 130 pounders ever….I think I’ll stay there and make my mark there,” Stevenson said.

Heading into Tuesday night’s likely easy win over little-known Puerto Rican opponent, Felix Caraballo, Stevenson, 13-0, 7 KOs, has only fought as a Featherweight, as a professional. His most recent victory was a 12 round unanimous decision over Joet Gonzalez in October, when he captured the vacant WBO belt.

However, due to the Covid-19 restrictions on being able to train in gyms, spar, etc., Stevenson’s first fight back was contracted as a non-title fight and at the junior lightweight 130 lb limit.

Stevenson made weight at the limit, on the nose during Monday afternoons weigh-in in Vegas.

Safe, socially distanced weigh-ins = ✅@ShakurStevenson stayed ready for 3 months, and is set for his Super Featherweight debut Tuesday night ?#StevensonCaraballo | ESPN | @GEICO pic.twitter.com/Y9NsMXN67N

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 8, 2020

While he certainly could find a way to drop back down to Featherweight and defend his belt, his comments seem to fall in line with wanting to fight one of the current 130 lb. champions and try to make bigger money.

WBO champ, Jamel Herring and IBF champ, Miquel Berchelt, are both Top Rank fighters like Stevenson, and would be natural opponents in the future for him.

Stevenson also later gave comments about potentially fighting, Vasily Lomachenko, the Unified Lightweight titleholder. The Ukrainian Lomachenko had his fight with Brooklyn’s IBF 135 lb. champ, Teofimo Lopez, postponed by the Coronavirus. They are now scheduled to apparently fight in September and possibly with at least some crowd practicing social distancing.

For now, it’s Stevenson’s stage, and he will obviously have the biggest audience he’s ever had with fight fans are starved for any action and his main event will stand alone Tuesday night at the MGM Resorts.

And, judging by the comments Monday, it’s very likely we’ve seen the last of him, title or not, fighting at Featherweight.