A self -proclaimed heir: examine Shakur Stevenson’s claim on the throne

Shakur Stevenson says the winner of his fight against Theophimo Lopez in early 2026 will determine who is the runner -up of being Next “boxing face” After Terence Crawford has disappeared. In other words, the next “face”.

(Credit: Matchroom)

Shakur (24-0, 11 kos) claims that the winner comes out in his confrontation against the heavy weight champion of Wbo Lopez (22-1, 13 kos) will be “the leader of the next generation.” This would seem reasonable if any of these fighters took the highest fighters of their weight class to give it Makeup title a little meaning.

What makes a real leader

Be a real leader and not a PutShakur and Theophimo should fight the highest fighters in their weight class. This has not happened with either. Since Stevenson moved lightly in 2023, these are the fighters he has fought: William Zepeda, Josh Padley, Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin de los Santos.

Empty words, empty wins

“I think he becomes the leader of the new school. So the winner of this struggle becomes the leader of the next generation,” said Shakur Stevenson a The sand On his belief that the winner of his shock against Teofimo Lopez in 2026 will be the next leader to bring the sport at least in his mind.

I don’t know what Shakur speaks. His fight against Theophimo will not show who is the following “leader”, “the next generation”. This struggle is just money if it happens. If Shakur wins, he has already said he will give the 140 -pound WBO title to his friend Keyshawn Davis and will return to his original weight class at 135.

A victory for Theophiimo will not mean much because it will have a slight that has no power, even in this division. Since he defeated Josh Taylor in 2023 to become the heavy weight champion of Wbo, Teophimo has defended his title against these non-elites: Arnold Barboza Jr., Steve Claggett, Jamaine Ortiz and Sandor Martin.

The fighters who ignore

Fans and fighters have criticized López for ignoring the highest fighters in the 140 LB division. They feel that cherry trees are collected from their opponents to expand their reign as WBO champion for the maximum possible time. It would mean something that Teo gave a new leaf and began to fight against the highest talents of the 140 pound division who have called it. There are

The first 140 pounds chasing López without luck

1. Gary Antuanne Russell
2. Richardson Hitchins
3. Subriel Matias
4. Ernesto Mercado
5. Keyshawn Davis

“Everyone knows that I and Teo are a bad mother f ***** when it comes to this boxing. The winner, I will not say the boxing face, because he is Terence Crawford. But behind him, who is the next? I think this struggle will say the difference,” Shakur said.

The winner of the struggle of Lopez vs. Stevenson is not on the backline of Crawford as the next “boxing face”. To be the true type of next, Shakur and Theophimo should fight and overcome the highest fighters they have chosen not to face their respective weight classes. I named the fighters that López, for any reason, has constantly chosen to not fight.

Light, these are the fighters that Shakur has ignored:

1. Andy Cruz
2. Abdullah Mason
3. Herrera Cores
4. Raymond Muratalla

If Shakur chooses to fight these boys, any Self -proclaimed title Like “boxing face” that he decides to give -he has a great chance of evaporating. I don’t think Shakur can beat any of these four fighters. Nor do I think he would defeat Floyd Schofield. I did not include it on the list because Shakur attempted to fight him earlier this year on February 22 card in Riyadh. Schofield retired from the fight for illness.