Next month, Shakur Stevenson will challenge Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super-lightweight world title and the Newark-born sensation has now opened up on what Floyd Mayweather has told him ahead of the fight.
Stevenson has maintained an undefeated record whilst progressing through the weight-classes, getting his hands on world honours at featherweight, super-featherweight and currently reigning at lightweight as the WBC champion.
Lopez is also a multi-weight world champion, having previously been unified lightweight world champion before stepping up to super-lightweight where he has held the WBO strap for the past two years.
Should Stevenson dethrone Lopez, he would become the 25th four-division world champion in boxing history and the fighter to beat at 140lbs – where potential unifications against fellow American titleholders Richardson Hitchins [IBF] and Gary Antuanne Russell [WBA] could await him.
Speaking to Cigar Talk, Stevenson revealed that boxing legend Mayweather has been in touch ahead of his toughest professional outing to date and that ‘Money’ told him that he should be the ‘A-side’ in his clash against Lopez.
“He [Mayweather] had a whole lot to say, but I don’t like to [put stuff out there]. One thing that he was just saying is that he doesn’t think that I should be the B-side for this upcoming fight.
“He thinks that I should be the A-side. He really felt strongly about it, but it is what it is.”
Lopez-Stevenson is set to take place on Saturday, January 31, in New York City, with further details regarding the venue and undercard expected imminently.
