Shakur Stevenson (20 – 0, 10 KO) is set to fight Edwin De Los Santos (16 – 1, 14 KO) for the vacant WBC lightweight title on November 16th, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. With the buzz for this fight picking up, Stevenson confirmed that he will be a promotional free agent next year after his contract with Top Rank expires.
“I’m considering every option possible. Let me make sure that’s known,” said Shakur about whether he’ll stick with Top Rank when his contract expires in 2024.
“Top Rank’s good to me, but once my contract’s up, I will be a free agent, and I’m willing to talk to anybody that wants to do great business.”
There are numerous fighters in the lightweight division that Shakur will have to consider when deciding on his next promotor. Fighters like Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz fight under Mayweather Promotions and Al Haymon respectively, Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos are under Top Rank, and Devin Haney has positioned himself to have the flexibility to sign short-term deals with Matchroom Boxing following a three-fight stint with Top Rank.
As for what is driving Shakur, it’s success in the sport and not the money that comes along with it.
“Once I fight in the big, big, big fights or that big fight where I get my foot in the door and then take over and just keep taking over and nonstop dominate, that’s when I’m going be more so satisfied. That’s when I’ll be happy,” said Stevenson . “Right now, I’m hungry, like I’m starving, and I’m not talking about money. This doesn’t have one thing to do with money.”
Stevenson has big decisions to make regarding the next steps of his career. Fortunately for him, the sport is rich with talent in his weight class, and promoters like Bob Arum, Al Haymon and Eddie Hearn each have compelling arguments to captivate the Newark, NJ native.
“He doesn’t have to go to [PBC] because we control a lot of the money now,” Arum said. “You can see by the fight in Saudi Arabia, and money makes the world go round in boxing.”
Stevenson, 26, has won world titles in the featherweight and junior lightweight divisions during his six-year professional career, and his next fight against against PBC-affiliated fighter, Edwin De Los Santos, will offer Stevenson the opportunity to win a title in a third weight class.