Shakur Stevenson looks to defend his WBC lightweight title for the first time against Artem Harutunyan on Saturday night (July 6) in a homecoming fight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on ESPN.
But it’s the opponent Stevenson isn’t facing as he enters the final fight of his Top Rank contract that has been the sub-plot during the buildup to his upcoming matchup.
Talk of a title unification tilt against WBA champion Gervtona “Tank” Davis has been all the rage during the promotional stages of Stevenson’s fight against Harutunyan, much like it was for Davis during his knockout win over Frank Martin last month.
“I have the best seat in the house,” Stevenson told BoxingScene. “We all know that me and Tank is going to be the biggest fight in years to come. Everybody and any promoter will want to be involved when that happens. I just sit back and chill and try not to think about it. I’ll think about it when it happens.
“It’s no question [my fight with Davis is going to stop everyone’s Saturday night]. That’s like the biggest fight in the world, if we are really thinking about it. Every hood in America is going to want to watch that fight. It’s going to be a tremendous fight. That’s the biggest and best fight to make in boxing.
“That’s the game plan for me and the end goal. That’s the fight that I am going to kick the door down with. Honestly, that’s the direction I want to go in.”
Davis said he has Stevenson on his “hit list” but has instead zeroed in on IBF lightweight titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko, as both sides are already engaged in negotiations.
Stevenson said he is willing to switch between 140 and 135 pounds for the right fights as he enters the free agency phase of his career.
“I’m going to be at 135 pounds for a minute,” said Stevenson. “I want to be undisputed at 135 and get the belts one by one.
“I know that my time will come. Tank Davis has nowhere else to go but to fight me. At the end of the day, me and him will have to fight, and that’s my opportunity. But for now, we’re focused on Artem.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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