Shakur Stevenson calls out Warrington and Santa Cruz!
When it comes WBO world featherweight champion “Fearless” Shakur Stevenson (13-0, 7 KO’s) there is no denying that he is one ambitious fighter! As one of the most recognizable standout boxers of the sports latest crop of new combatants, he is fresh off his victory in the personal grudge match with Joet Gonzalez.
Now he is scheduled to fight the hard-hitting Miguel “The Scorpio” Marriaga (29-3, 25 KO’s). The two will go head to head this March 14 at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Even though he only has thirteen professional bouts under his belt this will mark Stevenson’s fourth appearance at the legendary venue.
FEARLESS STILL GUNNING FOR WARRINGTON
Within the sport of boxing it has long been maxim that fighters should only look past their current opponent at their own peril. Some could accuse Stevenson of doing just this because despite his upcoming prizefight with Marriaga, Fearless would rather tangle with IBF world featherweight champion Josh “The Leeds Warrior” Warrington (30-0, 7 KO’s).
Yet, to Stevenson’s credit, he has been consistently been calling for the Warrington showdown well before the fight with Marriaga ever materialized. Thus far however, the fight with the Leeds Warrior has not become a reality.
Initially, Warrington felt that Fearless needed to accomplish more in the sport before he gave the talented New Jersey pugilist a shot at his IBF title. Now that Stevenson is himself a champion it appears that finances have become the last major hurdle to overcome. Yet now that Warrington has switched his promotional teams, as Fearless explained in an exclusive interview with Boxing Social, he no longer thinks this will be an issue.
“I think that Eddie Hearn has more money that Frank Warren. I think that Frank Warren don’t got that much money so he wasn’t trying to pay me that much which he should. I think that fight is going to get made. I think that it’s going to be a fight that will probably happen in June, May.
“If Josh go another route I would say that’s lame, that’s real lame if he do that.
[When asked if the potential quick turn-around fight would be too soon] “Hell naw, I’m ready to get right back in the ring I got see how this fight go [with Marriaga] but if it goes how it go in my head, I’m going to be ready to get right back in the ring.
[In terms of wanting to fight Warrington in the UK] “It says what it said about when Errol Spence did it, or when Crawford did that. I’m going to enjoy it a lot more to go to his hometown and take his belt from him.”
LOOKING TO MAKE SANTA CRUZ A PUNHCING BAG!
While Shakur Stevenson may be gunning for Warrington, with his level of ambition and talent, it should come as no surprise that the Leeds Warrior is not his only target. When asked who else he would like to get it on with, he stated that he would like to fight none other than the high volume punching Super WBA super featherweight champion Leo Santa “El Terrmoto” Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KO’s)!
“I want Santa Cruz! I want to beat up on Santa Cruz [referencing Wilder v Fury]. Yea this is a PBC versus Top Rank fight so me and Santa Cruz we going to get it in.”
If either bout, with Warrington or Santa Cruz, comes to fruition the boxing fans will be the real winners!
By: Bakari Simpson
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