The surpising Shakur Stevenson weight recently he shared on social medi brings up more questions than answers.
Stevenson recently stepped up to 140 pounds in the super-lightweight division in a career best performance to outpoint Teofimo Lopez by wide UD decision on points.
Afterwards he said that he was going back down in weight after the fight and he appeared to be very adamant about it.
But that does not look entirely the case now.
In recent days he showed his walking around weight in training at the moment is 144 pounds.
This is just under the welterweight limit in professional boxing of 147 pounds.
Him sharing this on social media has caused some online and spectators of the sport to debate whether he could fight a catchweight bout at his next fight at around 144 pounds.
When you think about it — that might make a bit of sense for him.
As big boxing stars and champions at the weight of welterweight include the likes of Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
Both champions at 147 pounds and there is also the likes of Jaron Ennis (although he is in a very tough fight next with Xander Zayas) and the likes of Mario Barrios and others as well are there.
To get one of the big names though like Haney or Garcia in the ring for a fight with a Shakur Stevenson weight at 144 pounds would need to bring the big money to get their interest though.
Particularly for the risk-reward factor at play for them to fight such a difficult, awkward, defensively-minded-counter-punching boxer like New Jersey’s Shakur Stevenson.
There is fighters also like Brian Norman Jr who was a champion not long ago there as well at welterweight but these are all a little bit too much surely in weight for Stevenson for now.
However Stevenson’s body is maybe not physically strong enough yet to make such a weight jump at this point.
So to make things more advantageous for himself, naturally, stipulating for one of these fighters to box him at a catchweight of 144 pounds makes sense.
It evens up the playing field in fights with all of the above for him and if it is the Devin Haney fight being targeted, or even someone like Rolly Romero, you would expect for now Stevenson will go no higher than around a catchweight of 143 pounds or 144 pounds.
He did well with Lopez at 140 pounds and boxing ability-wise he can match up well with all the above but welterweight is surely too much right now of a jump for him.
The Devin Haney fight looks to be the leading contender for a fight for Stevenson and if it is indeed the bout they try to make, it is a solid scrap.
Haney is by far the bigger name though so is the A-Side in any talks but the Stevenson defense will surely cause all sorts of problems for Haney technically.
Haney you would expect would look to use his strength advantages over Stevenson in a possible bout.
The extra pounds however will only make Stevenson more explosive himself and help his own gas tank.
His speed will still be there and more sharp then ever as well at a higher weight as long as he does not put in excessive bulk.
You’d look for Haney to try to make it a close quarters fight on the inside and bring Stevenson into the pocket to lean on him early on and try to make it a tough brawl of a bout if he were to have a chance.
We cannot see Haney outboxing Stevenson.
Stevenson on his side if he was smart would keep it long and use the jab to out jab Devin Haney, who does have a solid jab, mind you.
And look to stick and move on the outside and pot shot or rattle off combinations either off the back foot or off the pivot or even at mid range — then step off again.
Then possibly parrying Haney jabs and countering them.
A Shakur Stevenson weight of 144 pounds might work well for him at this point.
Who knows what fights Shakur Stevenson will be in but that weight at the moment suggests to us he is not done at super lightweight like he said he was not long ago earlier this year after the Teofimo Lopez win.
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