Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum has big plans for Shakur Stevenson, who earlier this month became a two-division world champion when he dominated and stopped Jamel Herring to capture the WBO super featherweight title.
At 24-years-old, the Olympic silver medal winner wants the biggest fights possible – specifically a unification with WBC world champion Oscar Valdez.
But Arum, who promotes both world champions, has other ideas. He wants to have a four man tournament so to speak.
He wants to match Valdez in a Mexican war with current WBO featherweight champion, Emanuel Navarrete. And he wants to match Stevenson against former WBC champion Miguel Berchelt.
The winners of the two fights would then collide at a later date, says Arum.
“We can suggest it to the fighters. But ultimately it is the fighters and their management who decide who to fight next. I want Valdez to fight Emanuel Navarrete, and to match Shakur against maybe Berchelt, who Valdez beat in a spectacular fight,” Arum told Sky Sports.
“We’d see how Shakur does with Berchelt, then we can match the winners. I think that’s the way to go. That’s what we will suggest to them. I hope to have Shakur back in the ring in March or April. Same thing with Valdez and Navarrete.”
Stevenson has been criticized for some of his past performances, where he simply outboxed his opponents and took few chances.
Arum believes Stevenson has now learned a valuable lesson – that he needs to put on a show in order to become a superstar.
“We always knew, as did everybody, that Shakur was an amazing talent. But it’s one thing to be a talent, and another thing to take that talent and become a crowd-pleasing fighter. Shakur now understands that,” Arum said.
“It was a great performance against a very skilled guy in Herring. Shakur, unlike his previous performances, didn’t come out, win a few rounds, then coast to victory. He came out to beat his opponent decisively. That puts him in a completely different category to before. I see this as the opening act of Shakur Stevenson. We will see greatness in the years ahead.”