Shakur Stevenson

Ash-Shakur Nafi-Shahid Stevenson (born June 28, 1997) is an American professional boxer.

He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes from featherweight to lightweight, including unified and lineal titles at super featherweight.

Stevenson had a very successful career at the Youth Level, winning the 2014 AIBA Youth World Championships and 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.

In 2015, aged 18, he won the Senior U.S. Olympic Trials, thus qualifying for the U.S. boxing team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

In Rio, Stevenson won a silver medal, losing to Robeisy Ramírez of Cuba in the gold medal match.

He was the highest-medaling male boxer for the United States – Claressa Shields won gold for the U.S. women's team.

As an amateur, he represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the bantamweight division.

As of November 2023, he is ranked as the world's third best active lightweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and BoxRec, fourth by ESPN, and fifth by The Ring magazine.

As an amateur, Stevenson trained at the Alexandria Boxing Club.

Stevenson turned professional on February 9, 2017, signing a promotional contract with Top Rank.

He signed Andre Ward as his manager.

Promoter Bob Arum told Ringtv that Stevenson would likely make his debut on a stacked card at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on April 22, 2017.

Stevenson showed off his agility, defense and punching skills as he won his first professional fight against American boxer Edgar Brito.

Stevenson won via fifth round technical decision.

Brito was cut on the left eye after an accidental headbutt in round 2.

In round 3, he was deducted a point for intentionally headbutting Stevenson.

From his own intentional headbutts, Brito suffered a cut over his right eye.

The ringside physician stopped the bout.

Stevenson was ahead on all three judges scorecards and won every round.

In an official press release on May 3, it was confirmed that Stevenson would make his Madison Square Garden debut on undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Félix Díaz world light welterweight championship fight on May 20, 2017.

His opponent was announced as Argentine boxer Carlos Suarez (6-3-2, 1 KO).

Stevenson won the bout after 2 minutes and 35 seconds of the first round.

Suarez was knocked down before the stoppage.

Stevenson's third bout took place at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, again on the undercard of Terrence Crawford, this time his unification fight against Julius Indongo on August 19, 2017.

Stevenson fought his second straight Argentine opponent, David Michel Paz (4-3) in a scheduled six-round fight.

Stevenson easily outpointed Paz over 6 rounds winning 60–53 on all three scorecards.

In round 5, Paz was knocked down following a straight left.

Stevenson seemed comfortable and patient in letting the fight go the distance.

On November 20, Top Rank confirmed 26-year-old Mexican Oscar Mendoza (4-2, 2 KOs) as Stevenson's opponent, which would take place on the undercard of Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux on December 9, 2017, at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City, New York.

Stevenson's first fight for 2018 was announced on February 7 to take place at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino's Grand Theater in Reno, Nevada on February 16 against Juan Tapia (8-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled 8 round bout.

Stevenson easily outpointed Tapia, winning 80–72 on all three judges' scorecards.

Stevenson showed defensive improvements in the fight, boxed with his jab and worked to the body.

He used the distance well, allowing Tapia to land only one punch at a time.

Stevenson continued his winning streak, compiling a perfect record of 12-0 before facing Joet Gonzalez for the vacant WBO featherweight title on October 26, 2019.

Gonzalez was ranked #2 by the WBO at featherweight.

The two men had a long-running feud, due to the fact that Stevenson's girlfriend of the past three years had been Gonzalez's younger sister, Jajaira.

Gonzalez and his father openly disapproved of the relationship and of Stevenson.

On the night, Stevenson outboxed his opponent, winning a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 119–109 in his favor.

After the final bell, Stevenson attempted to reconcile with Gonzalez without success, saying, "I told him he's a Helluva fighter. He didn't really want to talk to me, but it is what it is."

On July 9, 2020, Stevenson vacated his WBO title without making a single title defense, as he had moved up to the super featherweight division.