Shakur Stevenson insists that fellow world lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko is ducking him. The undefeated American believes the multi-weight world champion doesn’t want to fight him in a lightweight unification bout.
Shakur Stevenson Insists Vasyl Lomachenko Is ‘Ducking’ Him
Following his last fight on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 card in Riyadh, Shakur Stevenson is now on the lookout for his next opponent.
The WBC World Lightweight Champion was supposed to fight Floyd Schofield on the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 card, but instead faced late replacement opponent Josh Padley in the Saudi Arabian desert.
The 23-0 unbeaten American stopped Padley in Round 9 of their WBC World Lightweight Title fight, making a successful second defence of his green and gold 135-pound belt.
Boxing fans are eagerly awaiting a super-fight involving Stevenson at lightweight, with so many elite fighters still campaigning in his weight class. As of yet, none of these mega-fights have come to fruition.
Stevenson is already a three-weight world champion at just 27-years-old, but has spoken of his desire to become unified champion at lightweight and perhaps even undisputed king of the division.
To do that, he must add the IBF, WBA and WBO belts to his collection. Gervonta Davis is the WBA champion currently, with Vasyl Lomachenko the IBF king and Keyshawn Davis the WBO belt holder.
Stevenson has called all three fighters out, but particularly wants the Lomachenko clash. The American has stated on numerous occasions that the great Ukrainian was someone he looked up too for years, and would love to share the ring with him before he retires.
However, now Stevenson has insisted that Lomachenko is ‘ducking’ him. If a fight was to be made between the pair, the best boxing betting sites would list Shakur Stevenson as the favourite now against an aging Vasyl Lomachenko.
Shakur Stevenson: ‘I Looked Up To Lomachenko’
In regards to Shakur Stevenson’s next fight, boxing fans are awaiting an official announcement on who the unbeaten WBC champion could fight next. Stevenson’s next bout will likely take place in the summer, with numerous names being discussed.
Stevenson’s promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken of his desire to get his man the big fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko, but as of yet hasn’t been able to deliver these for Shakur.
The three-weight world champion himself has also spoken of his desire to fight these big names as he looks to cement himself as the best 135-pound boxer on the planet. To do that he needs to fight the likes of ‘Tank’ and ‘Loma’.
In a recent interview with The Ring Magazine Podcast, Stevenson insisted that he is still chasing the big fights, but that these other fighters don’t want to face him. This includes Vasyl Lomachenko, who Stevenson feels is ducking him:
“I kind of looked up to Lomachenko. He was that guy for me. For him to be somebody to duck, like he really don’t want to fight me.
“It has made me look at him [Lomachenko] a little bit differently. He’s had a helluva career, he’s a legend but I still think he ducked me,” Stevenson said on The Ring Magazine Podcast with Chris Mannix.
Time will tell what happens in regards to Shakur Stevenson and a potential clash with either Gervonta Davis or Vasyl Lomachenko. If Lomachenko doesn’t retire, then that fight can most definitely be made next. Fingers crossed it gets signed!
Be sure to claim the various boxing betting offers and free bet deals available on the SportsCasting site ahead of Shakur Stevenson’s next fight.
