Shakur Stevenson is brash and cocky, but he has kept his promises so far. Before his next fight, he talks to Phil Rogers about his confidence, his next opponent and his fight to make 130 pounds.
TRUST is a precious asset. Most of us improvise and weave our way through life, shaking off the familiar enemy of doubt, but ever mindful of its corrosive powers. How, then, do some people seem to be equipped with a roadmap for life?
“I feel like I’m the best in boxing,” declares undefeated (now former) super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson, a youngster who has been proclaiming his own greatness since he first laced up the gloves. “I’ve been saying this for a while and I still stand by it.”
Stevenson will look to further his claim as the best fighter in the sport when he takes on Brazilian Robson Conceicao on Friday night (September 23). The 25-year-old American’s impressive recent form has seen him stop Jamel Herring in 10 rounds and dominate Oscar Valdez to cement his status as the best in the division. Conceicao himself could be forgiven for claiming victory over Valdez as well, having previously lost a controversial decision to the Mexican in September 2021. It is this performance that piqued Stevenson’s interest in the fight.
“He deserved a chance after his fight with Valdez. Many people thought that he won. I have a different belief about it. I feel like he left it too close. But at the end of the day he earned his chance and I feel like he deserves it. I am one of those fighters where I don’t mind fighting the best. I feel like fighting the best always brings out the best in me,” he says.
“Expect him to put on a masterful performance and dominate and beat Robson Conceicao. I’m going to go in there to beat the crap out of him, so I hope he’s ready, but I’m kicking his ass.”
The fight itself was billed as something of a New Jersey homecoming for Stevenson, with Top Rank prospects Keyshawn Davis and Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington eagerly sharing the stage to promote their own fights on the undercard at the Prudential Center in Newark.
Watching Stevenson that day was someone enjoying the recognition he’s been craving. She seemed at home on stage with her grandfather and trainer, Wali Moses, praising the young Bob Arum stars looking to replicate her success and signing autographs for local kids afterward. In fact, it was reminiscent of Stevenson’s own time as a supporting act for Terence Crawford, a time he himself treasures as invaluable experience in gaining insight and advice from one of the best in the sport.
“I am ready to accept that role. Just show love to other fighters and other fighters younger than me. I’ve been striving my whole life for this and it’s finally paying off. It was a really fun experience being back home. Being in front of my family and friends and just enjoying the atmosphere. It was so much fun and I can’t wait to fight in front of them on September 23.”
Stevenson was previously angered by sections of the boxing media excluding him by declaring Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis the new ‘Four Kings’ of contemporary boxing. Stevenson insisted at the time that he was “cut from a different cloth” than his contemporaries and, backing this up, he has barely lost a round en route to becoming the best in the 130-pound weight class. It is this combination of self-confidence and competition obsession that he believes is propelling his career path upward.
“I’m just one of those types of people. I am very competitive. I like to compete in everything and I believe in myself one hundred percent. It was just something I was born with. I was born with a love for boxing. I think the love and passion for boxing keeps me going all the time. I think that’s where it all comes from. Simply my love for the sport. I enjoy boxing, I enjoy getting in the ring, sparring, fighting and everything related to boxing.”
Away from boxing, Stevenson’s life has taken on additional responsibility. He proposed to his girlfriend, Michelle Ragston (aka Young Lyric), immediately after his fight with Valdez and then, in December, announced the birth of his daughter. He is aware of the impact these events in his life have had on him.
“It has shaped me very well. I feel like being a role model and being a father, it’s a whole different world. At the end of the day, you have to be smart outside the ring as well as inside the ring. I kind of flow with life like that.”
Speculation has been swirling about how long Stevenson will remain at 130 pounds, especially with the prospect of big-money fights at lightweight tempting him. The American despises Britain’s Joe Cordina, current holder of the IBF Super-Featherweight belt, but has been open to traveling to the UK to face him. Ultimately, however, his plans will be dictated by how comfortable he feels in the run up to Friday night. (Having weighed in at 131.6 pounds for Friday’s fight against Conceicao and thus relinquished his super featherweight titles, we now know.)
“The [Cordina] He only won one fight! i think i hit someone [Kenichi Ogawa] that beat Tevin Farmer but Tevin Farmer really beat him. So he just won one fight. We’ll see. If I’m still at this weight, I’ll give him a beating too. It just has to do with the weight cut. Depending on how hard the weight cut is for this fight, we’ll find out later.”
As for a future superfight with Top Rank’s Vasily Lomachenko, Stevenson remains as unflappable as ever, eager to climb the pound-for-pound rankings of boxing and elevate his name to the top of the sport.
“If that’s what you want. [Lomachenko] so I’m willing to do it. I’m down for whoever. Whoever wants to smoke I’m with it. I don’t care Anyone! Anyone can get it!
