Can Shakur Stevenson actually be the new 'entertaining' face of boxing?

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — Shakur Stevenson was still in his glittery black trunks at close to 2 a.m. Sunday morning in the bowels of Madison Square Garden looking like the freshest man in the room after a 12-round title fight.

Stevenson was so energized, he could have gone another 12 rounds after he had just vanquished the best 140-pounder in the world, Teofimo Lopez Jr., to become the new — and best — super lightweight in boxing, having won almost every second of every round in a 119-109 unanimous decision to claim the WBO super lightweight world championship.

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) put on a masterclass performance — the signature victory of his career so far —that entertained an MSG record sold-out crowd of 21,324 fans.

The operative word being “entertained.”

Stevenson has not always entertained in the ring. He’s had a reputation for hitting and running, not really engaging, not walking down opponents behind what may arguably be the greatest jab in boxing today. But what was unique about Saturday's victory over Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) is that Stevenson walked down someone who was believed to be the heavier puncher. Stevenson, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, was the challenger coming up in weight as the current WBC lightweight world champion.

He just beat a world champion who had a pristine 6-0 record in super lightweight bouts prior to fighting him.

The perfunctory question of “what’s next,” which always surfaces in big victories after a title fight, quickly surfaced.

Conor Benn, who split his two fights with Chris Eubank Jr. in 2025, was in attendance for the Stevenson-Lopez fight and would certainly be an entertaining option before 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in England sometime in the summer of 2026.

There is also a possible unification title fight with IBF champion Richardson Hitchins down the line — that is, if Hitchins can first get by Mexico’s rugged Oscar Duarte on the undercard of the Feb. 21 Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia WBC welterweight title bout in Las Vegas. The other option is WBA titleholder Gary Antuanne Russell, or British WBC titlist Dalton Smith.

“I’m into big fights, I’m into big-money fights. I like proving that I’m the best and I like doing things that people say that I can’t do,” Stevenson said post-fight. “There are a lot of people who will say that I am too little for Conor Benn, and I can’t do it, which would make for a tremendous fight.

“If he doesn’t agree [to a rehydration clause], then that fight will be dead.”

When asked if he sees himself as the new face of boxing, Stevenson said, “For sure, I stay steady and have been calling people out my whole career. I told everyone that my moment was going to come. Teo took the bait. Finally, someone took the bait. I’ve been begging for this moment, and we finally got it.”

Brad Goodman, Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmaker, goes way back with Stevenson. Goodman was there Saturday in support of Top Rank fighters Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Keyshawn Davis, who were on the Stevenson-Lopez undercard.

After beating Lopez in dominating fashion, the demand will be open to greater possibilities for Stevenson, Goodman said. He should know. Goodman was very instrumental in building Stevenson, now a pound-for-pound entrant, who in one night transformed from being on the periphery of stardom to now ready to step through.

“I knew it from day one — Shakur had great things ahead, and he would wind up his career as a full-fledged welterweight or junior middleweight,” Goodman said. “For years, he was asking to fight Gervonta Davis. He had not turned pro yet when he demanded to spar Nonito Donaire, who was a world champion. Shakur is a special kid. You do not find kids like that today.

“As time has gone on, his body is developing and he has grown more confident. He has respectable power, but what has changed is that he used to fight off his back foot, and against Lopez, he fought in the pocket. Probably the best fight out there is Shakur and Keyshawn Davis, but that will never happen, because they are very tight, like brothers. Shakur has said he will never fight Keyshawn, not money or anything would get him in the ring. I don’t see him going back down to 135 [pounds]. He wants to chase all the best out there.”

With the current legal problems Gervonta Davis is dealing with, Stevenson’s rising star is not going to wait for "Tank." Against Hitchins, Russell and Smith, Stevenson would be the heavy favorite in all those fights.

The one big fight that could present problems for Stevenson is WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, because of his length, his size and his hand speed.

“For me to go up another weight class, beat [Lopez] and take his belt, was a tremendous thing tonight — yeah, I would say so far it was the defining moment of my career,” Stevenson said.

Josh Dunin, and Stevenson’s co-manager James Prince, said he if the money is right, Stevenson may be willing to go to England to fight Benn.

“The one thing about Shakur since he was 19, he wanted to fight the best fighters in the world. Teofimo happened to be the first one to say yes,” Dunin said. “Shakur is not willing to put himself at unnecessary risk. To fight at Wembley Stadium, you heard the crowd tonight, we should relish this moment and give Shakur his respect first.”

Options are now out there for Stevenson, the newly-minted WBO super lightweight world champion who does not appear to be going back down in weight. He actually looked larger and stronger than Lopez on Saturday night, while still carrying the hand speed to be highly effective.

But above all, Stevenson, who did do some running late, and could have possibly finished Lopez if he put more pressure on the “The Takeover,” was entertaining in the ring. After the first few rounds, he went from being stalked, to being the stalker — a new role he may be willing to embrace moving forward.