Shakur Stevenson took to social media this week to pat himself on the back for his methodical career pacing.
Viewing his career as a marathon, the former three-division world champion Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) compares himself favorably to fighters who sprinted ahead of him during their careers. Without naming who he’s referring to, Shakur points out that they “burned themselves out.”
Besides not mentioning who he’s talking about, Stevenson fails to state the main reasons for his longevity. Many believe he was protected by his former promoters at Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing, who didn’t put him in with tough opponents who could beat him or wear him down.
When Shakur fought notable opposition, they were often at the low points of their careers. For example, he fought these boxers when they were past their best:
- Oscar Valdez
- Jamel Herring
- Robson Conceicao
In recent years, Shakur has been criticized for fighting weak opposition, such as Josh Padley, Artem Harutyunyan, Shuichiro Yoshino, and William Zepeda.
When Shakur has been called out by talented fighters like Andy Cruz and Ernesto Mercado, he’s chosen not to fight them. This suggests to some fans that Stevenson’s entire career is just a sham, and he’s an example of how far a fighter can go when their promoters are crafty and match them against carefully selected opponents. When a person stands on one’s shoulders, they can see far.
Shakur could prove a lot if he were to turn over a new leaf and run this gauntlet to show he’s not a fake:
- Andy Cruz
- Floyd Schofield
- Abdullah Mason
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Ernesto Mercado
- Subriel Matias
- Raymond Muratalla
“During the Marathon, a lot of them sprinted fast and were ahead of me, but I stayed steady at my own pace. Nowadays, the sprinters burnt themselves out, and I’m still moving with purpose 💨 #4DivisionChampOtw,” said Shakur Stevenson on X, gloating about how he’s still on top despite the fighters that were ahead of him on the downside or no longer in the game.
Shakur – Zepeda punch stats
- William Zepeda – 290 connects of 979 for 29.6%
- Shakur Stevenson – 295 of 555 for 53.1%
Shakur plans on fighting Teofimo Lopez next on January 31, 2026, for his WBO 140-lb belt. That fight is viewed as another cherry-pick for Shakur, because the real talent at 140 are WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell and WBC champion Subriel Matias.