Stevenson is eagerly awaiting the outcome of Herring v Frampton
In his next assignment, “Fearless” Shakur Stevenson (14-0, 8 KO’s) will take on Toka “T-Nice” Clary (28-2, 19 KO’s). If he is successful in the December 12 clash, Stevenson will maintain his WBO #1 super featherweight ranking. That number one slot guarantees him the first shot at the winner of WBO world super featherweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (22-2, 10 KO’s) versus Carl “The Jackal” Frampton (28-2, 16 KO’s).
This is why Stevenson is anxious for them to announce a fight date and then handle their fistic business. The former WBO featherweight champion is exceedingly optimistic that he will prevail over Clary. Therefore, he is mentally preparing himself for a fight with either one of those two men.
“That’s the fight that I am getting. That ain’t the fight that I want, that is the fight that I am getting. Hopefully, they hurry up with their date and decide what they are doing. So that way I can be back in March against the winner of that fight.”
NO FRIENDS IN THE RINGS
In the instance that Herring comes out on top, some are wondering whether Stevenson’s friendship will become an obstacle. Recently ,when it was proposed that WBO world welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (37-0, 28 KO’s) face Shawn “Showtime” Porter (31-3-1, 17 KO’s), Bud indicated that the friendship would be a factor. Conversely, Porter was quick to throw friendship on the back burner to get some business handled.
Apparently, Stevenson comes out of the Porter frame of mind. When asked at a recent virtual media day about his feelings on fighting a chum, he expressed having no apprehension whatsoever.
“I mean boxing is a business at the end of the day. I don’t look at nobody as friends. If we get in the ring. I got to feed my family just as much as he has to feed his family. So I can’t look at it like, ‘oh no I’m cool with Jamel!’ Nah, that’s the enemy when we get in the ring. So, you just got to wait and see.”
“…it is easy, I just feel like I got family of my own and I got a lot going on with myself that I’m so hungry I don’t care what you got going on. If you are across the ring from me, you gotta go and that’s just how I see it. I don’t look at nobody like, ‘you my family,’ nah I look at it from the stand point where I got to feed my family and you got to feed your family. I know for a fact if you get a chance to hurt me, you ain’t going to hold back so I’m the same exact way!”
By: Bakari Simpson
