Shakur Stevenson has been championed for his ‘take on all-comers’ approach and his willingness to accept the toughest possible fights, although that willingness is not often reciprocated. However, there is one man that the Newark sensation has no interest in fighting, unless offered a huge sum of money.
The 28-year-old southpaw has moved through the divisions to become a three-division world champion and is now poised to advance to the super-lightweight scene and challenge Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super-lightweight world title in five weeks’ time.
It remains to be seen whether Stevenson will remain at 140lbs or seek a move to the welterweight division if he successfully dethrones Lopez. Although, should he opt to remain at the weight, there is one fellow American whom he has no intentions of facing.
Speaking to The Art of Dialogue, Stevenson explained that he would not fight his good friend Keyshawn Davis, unless offered a purse that would provide him with generational wealth.
“I get how you might feel when you don’t understand someone’s relationship with somebody, but this is my brother, my right-hand man. Why am I putting on a show in front of y’all, why am I fighting my brother in front of the world, that could f**k up our relationship because at the end of day I am competitive as f**k, he’s competitive as f**k and there has got to be a winner and a loser.
“I don’t plan on letting n***as beat me, I don’t care who it is. So, at the end of the day, that would come in-between me and his relationship, I don’t give a f**k how anybody else feels about it.
“Unless mother****as giving us $500m or some crazy s**t that is going to feed our families for the entire rest of our lives and the generations that come after that, then I don’t give a f**k [about fighting Keyshawn], it is what it is.”
Davis claimed the WBO lightweight world title at the beginning of the year but missed weight ahead of a first defence against Edwin De Los Santos in June, prompting a move up to super-lightweight.
‘The Businessman’ is yet to fight since, but is the WBO mandatory challenger in the division, meaning Stevenson may have to vacate the belt if defeats Lopez and wishes to avoid fighting Davis.
