Shakur Stevenson targets Lamont Roach Jr. fight
Shakur Stevenson backs Lamont Roach Jr. against William Zepeda as he eyes a major lightweight showdown.
Shakur Stevenson posted on Friday evening that he is strongly supporting Lamont Roach Jr. in his upcoming fight against William Zepeda so that he can then face him afterward. His goal is to be crowned the best lightweight boxer.
On X, he wrote:
“F*** it, Lamont go to work so me and u can bang out for the best 135 pounder on da planet”
However, this has caused a bit of confusion. He recently and openly distanced himself from the WBC, and now he supposedly wants to fight for the title? He was quick to deny this, though. He says he only wants to fight the best fighters, but he’s turning down the belt.
Lamont Roach Jr. is one of the names Shakur Stevenson mentions most often when it comes to a return to the lightweight division. Although Lamont Roach Jr. hasn’t won a fight in two years, Shakur Stevenson doesn’t seem to care much about that. If he faces William Zepeda, it won’t matter anyway, since that would immediately bring him back into contention.
Devin Haney was also a possibility for Shakur Stevenson. However, these negotiations have stalled due to Shakur Stevenson’s demand to fight at catchweight.
Devin Haney, as the reigning WBO welterweight world champion, is currently in a strong position and therefore has little reason to accept such terms. A victory by Lamont Roach Jr. would therefore be good for Shakur Stevenson if negotiations with Devin Haney continue to stall.
If Shakur Stevenson does indeed return to the lightweight division, William Zepeda’s fight will play an important role. We’ll find out how it goes tonight!
Shakur Stevenson’s interest in Lamont Roach Jr. is, of course, understandable, but it also illustrates the current state of the division quite well. A fight against Lamont Roach Jr. would certainly draw attention, but Devin Haney remains the bigger name and would likely be the better fight. If Shakur Stevenson really wants to face the sport’s biggest names, I think he’ll have to make some compromises.