Shakur Stevenson Will Have A Tough Decision To Make

Shakur Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) faces a difficult decision: proceed with the kind of marquee fights he’s been chasing, or fulfill a WBO-ordered defense of his super lightweight world championship.

Stevenson won the title in January when he dominated Teofimo Lopez, winning the WBO belt in New York City — his fifth title in four weight classes. He has, since then, been linked with high-profile fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, and Ryan Garcia, but rather than fight in a marquee match, a mandated bout may be imposed upon him in November should he honor an ordered defense from the WBO.

WBO President Gustavo Olivieri even said this week he’ll soon send Stevenson a letter to remind him he’s got a mandatory challenger coming up. The ordering process will reportedly begin in September, with the defense due two months later.

Emiliano Vargas is the No.1-ranked contender at 140 pounds, ahead of Lindolfo Delgado and Oscar Duarte. Ernesto Mercado and Adam Azin are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. However, Olivieri said “it is possible” that the former WBO lightweight champion Raymond Muratella (24-0, 17 KOs) skips the line.

Muratella won the IBF interim title in 2025 with a decision win over Zaur Abdullaev, and then retained the full version of the belt with wins over Andy Cruz and, more recently, Robson Conceicao. Following the 12-round win over Conceicao, Muratella expressed his desire to leave the confines of 135 pounds and move to 140.

Stevenson’s decision would be to defend the WBO title at 140 against Muratella or a ranked opponent, or risk the WBO stripping him of the belt should he pursue a more lucrative match-up.