NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – APRIL 08: Shakur Stevenson of the United States is declared the winner by TKO … [+]
Shakur Stevenson might be the scariest fighter in his weight region. That might explain why it’s been so difficult for him to find an opponent over the past year.
Stevenson fans should be delighted as the former featherweight and super featherweight champion will make his return to the ring on Thursday, yes, Thursday night, against Edwin De Los Santos at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Stevenson can become a three-division champion with a win as the WBC lightweight title is at stake in the 26-year-old’s second fight at 135 pounds.
Here is everything you need to know about Stevenson’s next fight.
Date
Time and TV
Location
- T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
Other Notable Fights
- Emanuel Navarrete vs. Robson Conceicao, 12 rounds, for Navarrete’s WBO junior lightweight title
- Brian Norman Jr. vs. Quinton Randall, 10 rounds, welterweights
Navarrete will be looking to make the second successful defense of his WBO title. Conceicao will be making his third attempt to win a world title.
He lost unanimous decisions to Oscar Valdez in September 2021 and Stevenson in September 2022. Norman is an undefeated KO artist.
He’s 24-0 with 19 KOs, but he’ll face another undefeated fighter in Randall, who is 13-0-1 but with just 3 KOs to his credit. It’s a step-up fight for Norman as he tries to move to the next tier of 147-pounders.
What’s The Deal With De Los Santos?
At 16-1 with 14 KOs, De Los Santos has proven to be a dangerous fighter. His only loss as a professional is a split-decision setback to William Foster III in January 2022.
De Los Santos is coming off a lopsided unanimous-decision win over Joseph Adorno in July, and despite Stevenson’s reputation, the 24-year-old Dominican contends he’s “the real boogeyman of the division.”
He’ll get a chance to prove his point on Thursday.
Shakur Stevenson’s Last Fight
In Stevenson’s last fight, he scored a sixth-round TKO win over Shuichiro Yoshino in April. It was one of his most impressive performances.
Fighting on a Thursday night, Stevenson must equal or exceed what he did against Yoshino to raise his level. Stevenson would love a shot at other big names like Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis, but he hasn’t been able to secure a fight against any of them.
This bout against De Los Santos will be the next opportunity for Stevenson to prove he belongs in the same breath as Haney, Garcia, and Davis and is also someone they should fear.
