Promoter Bernard Hopkins wants to see Ryan Garcia and Shakur Stevenson fight at a catchweight in the first half of 2025. Hopkins likes the idea of Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) and Shakur meeting at a catchweight between 135 and 143.
Garcia’s one-year suspension expires in April, and he’ll be looking for an opponent to fight on PPV when he returns. Devin Haney is no longer an option due to his lawsuit. Ryan will need someone who the boxing world would want to see fight him. Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) could be an option if they could agree on a suitable catchweight.
Shakur lacks the popularity to maneuver Ryan to drop below 140 to meet him at a catchweight of 137.5 lbs. There’s a tremendous imbalance in terms of popularity between the two fighters. Although Shakur is a world champion and captured three division world titles, he’s nowhere near as popular as Ryan.
Realistically the only way a fight between Ryan and Shakur could happen is if it’s 143. Ryan is too big to drain down to 140, and if he agreed to it, there’s a good chance he’d come in overweight.
“The weight that he left at,” said Bernard Hopkins to the media when asked what weight Ryan Garcia will fight when he returns to the ring from his one-year suspension. “143, 147. It would depend on the fighter and who they’ve got.”
If Shakur is confident of beating Ryan, he’d agree to fight him at 143 to 147, but Golden Boy boss Oscar De La Hoya would need to give the green light. De La Hoya might not be open to matching Garcia against the Eddie Hearn-promoted Shakur because that would involve dealing with someone he does appear to like. If Ryan were to lose to Shakur, Hearn would never let De La Hoya hear the end of it.
“Yes,” said Hopkins about it being a catchweight. “I can tell you who I think he [Ryan] should fight when the time comes. Do you want to know? I thought y’all were going to ask me, but it seems like we ain’t going to get there.
“Shakur. I’d like to see him fight Shakur,” said Hopkins about wanting Ryan Garcia to fight Shakur Stevenson when he comes off his suspension in April 2025. “There are no advantages. Shakur has been sitting on a pond and fishing, right?”
Hearn already has big plans for Shakur to fight his #1 ranked WBC contender William Zepeda in February and then a unification match against WBA champion Gervonta Davis in the summer. Would Hearn be willing to alter those plans to let Shakur fight Ryan?
“Shakur hasn’t been active, correct? By the time Ryan is ready, that should be, and I don’t know for sure. I could be wrong,” said Hopkins. “That should be a healing time between now and then for Shakur, correct? As long as he stays healthy. Out of the gate, not advantages. Would you agree? No advantages as far as being active for both fighters.”
Shakur has brittle bird-like hands, and he could suffer another injury that would further delay his return to the ring. He’s been dealing with hand injuries since last year, and this could be a chronic problem. Ryan can’t afford to bet on Shakur being healthy in the first half of 2025 because he could have problems again. A better option for Ryan would be to challenge Mario Barrios for his WBO welterweight title next. Let Shakur fight Zepeda and meet his detistiny.
“Meet in the middle,” said Hopkins when told that it would be a big step up for Shakur to come up from 135 to face Ryan Garcia between 143 and 147. “We’re in a different era right now. No one talks about weight right now. You’re talking about Bud Crawford wants to fight Canelo Alvarez.”
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