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Josh Katzowitz, Contributor

Shakur Stevenson On Finally Facing Oscar Valdez: ‘Now Is NOT A Great Time To Fight Me’

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 09: In this handout image provided by Top Rank, Shakur Stevenson punches Felix Caraballo during their super featherweight bout at MGM Grand Conference Center Grand Ballroom on June 09, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images) Top Rank via Getty Images

Coming off the most complete victory of his career six months ago, Shakur Stevenson goes from facing quality world titlist Jamel Herring to matching up with Oscar Valdez, one of the two best junior lightweights in the world. Stevenson, of course, is the other. Stevenson is a surprisingly huge betting favorite—I’d make him somewhere in the neighborhood of -250 but he’s actually -800 (bet $800 to win $100) —and maybe there’s a good reason for that.

It could be because Stevenson is a fantastic fighter and is a fringe pound-for-pound list contender just five years and 17 fights into his career. With a win against the dangerous Valdez (a 5/1 underdog) in their junior lightweight title unification fight Saturday night on ESPN and ESPN+, Stevenson would take another big step on his path to boxing stardom.

I spoke with Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) this week, and we discussed his victory vs. Herring, how being a new father has motivated him even more and whether a recent failed drug test by Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) affects Stevenson’s mindset

Here’s our conversation, lightly edited and condensed.

Josh Katzowitz: This is the first time we’ve talked one on one since before you made your pro debut. Now, it’s 17 fights later. How do you feel about where you are in your career right now, going into your biggest fight ever?

Shakur Stevenson: I feel great about my pro career. I think I’m ready to make history. I’m ready for the fight and to add to my resume.

JK: In your last fight against Herring, I think some people were surprised with how dominant you were. Here’s Herring, a champion with an Olympic pedigree, and you beat him up. How big was that in your development?

SS: It was definitely a big step in my development. But I knew what I was going to do. Jamel is a great fighter, but I knew he wasn’t at my level. I had a great gameplan.

JK: How old is your baby now? Five months?

SS: Four months old.

JK: What’s that been like? Even outside the ring when you’re not fighting, what’s life like for you these days as a new father?

SS: Life is definitely different. Honestly, it motivates me a lot more. It’s easier to get up and go train. It’s easier to get up and put the work in. I’ve been away from my daughter a lot, and I really miss her. I want to make her proud. I’m definitely working hard, and I’m trying to lead by example. I’ve always been motivated by my family. I’m the oldest of nine. I’ve had that on my shoulders since I was young.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 28: Oscar Valdez (L) and Shakur Stevenson (R) face-off during the press conference prior to their WBC and WBO junior lightweight championship at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images) Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images

JK: I know you’ve been trying to get with Valdez for a long time. Now, it’s here.

SS: I’ve been asking for this for a long time. The moment is finally here. I’m ready to fight. I’m tired of talking about it. I just want to fight.

JK: Do you think he was ducking you when you guys were both at 126?

SS: I feel like he knew how good I was. It wasn’t any challenge he was going to take.

JK: But it’s like you said earlier today. You said he should have gotten you earlier in your career, when you were younger and before you had all this development.

SS: It’s going to be even worse for him. I agree with that. He had a better chance of getting me early in my career. Now, I’m a lot more developed and a lot smarter. It’s NOT a great time to fight me.

JK: You’ve been critical of Valdez and the drug test he failed before his last fight [vs. Robson Conceicao]. When you’re facing a guy with a history of that, does that worry you? You’re risking your life in the ring, and he’s shown in the past that he might not be clean with you. Does that provide a bigger danger to you?

SS: Nah, it doesn’t worry me. They have to understand you can’t stop destiny. I understand what my destiny is, that I can be one of the best fighters to ever do it. I can’t control when it comes to that. I can control what I do. I’ve been tested five times this camp. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tested him even more. All I can do is worry about the fight and what’s in my power.

JK: Are you a top-10 pound-for-pound boxer? Should you be on everybody’s list?

SS: One hundred percent. What would make me on the pound-for-pound list would be to beat Valdez. Valdez is a champion, and you’ve got to respect that I’m fighting a tough fighter. I deserve to be on that list. Any which way that I beat him, I deserve to be on that pound-for-pound list. I’m one of the best fighters in the sport of boxing.

JK: I’m curious. Who’s the hardest puncher you’ve faced?

SS: [Jeremiah] Nakathila.

JK: It’s funny. That win against him looks a lot better now that he beat Miguel Berchelt a couple months go. I think before people were like, “Who is Nakathila?” and then when you beat him, they were like, ‘Ah, he’s no good.” Then, he goes and knocks out Berchelt.

SS: I think a lot of people owe me an apology. They didn’t know how good he was and how strong he was. He went out there and beat the hell out of Berchelt.

JK: Valdez has power. Do you think your chin has been tested enough where you feel confident that you can take his punches?

SS: I’m not worried about that. I’m not even thinking about that. I don’t go in there thinking about getting hit. That’s not in my plans. If it happens, I can take it. I plan on dominating and not getting hit.

JK: The fact that you guys are going up against Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor [that will take place on DAZN the same night] but that the times for the main event are being staggered so boxing fans can watch both your fight with Valdez and the women’s fight, do you think that’s a pretty cool thing?

SS: Yeah, I’m one of the reasons it’s not at the same time. I tweeted out that I hope they don’t have the fights at the same time. [DAZN’s people] said they would make sure it wouldn’t happen. I’m glad they did it that way because of what I tweeted. The females get all the attention, and then we get all the attention.


JK: And you just recently tweeted out, after he knocked out Dillian Whyte last weekend, that you’d never seen anything like Tyson Fury before.

SS: He goes in there and just dominates. I don’t think there’s too many people who could beat Tyson ever in the history of time. He definitely put an exclamation point on his career.

JK: Well, unless he fights again. I mean, if [Anthony] Joshua beats [Oleksandr] Usyk in their rematch, why wouldn’t Fury want to fight him for the undisputed heavyweight championship, especially if it was in the UK?

SS: Nah, I disagree with that. If we’re being honest, we know Joshua can’t beat Fury. That’s not a fight he really wants. Joshua couldn’t beat Usyk, who was fighting at 220 pounds. Now, he’s going to beat Fury, who’s 6-foot-9 and 270 pounds? There are different levels to this.

JK: Right, but a $100 million payday would be tough for Fury to turn down.

SS: I agree with you about that.

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