Shakur Stevenson fights Oscar Valdez in a champion vs. champion fight Saturday night and expects to win, in style, to become a superstar in the sport.
Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank / Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — Shakur Stevenson was mercilessly booed when he made his way to the center stage for Friday's public weigh-in.
It was the final time he'd face off with his junior lightweight world title rival Oscar Valdez before they throw hands in Saturday's landmark unification fight that takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Rowdy fans at the pre-fight event were in no mood to greet Stevenson as the champion he is. They loved another champion in Valdez, hated Stevenson, and wanted to voice their disdain for the 24-year-old.
This may not seem like one of the essential ingredients that create a boxing superstar but, really, it still is.
It's hard to make people love you, and harder still to make people loathe you. The worst thing a fighter can do is fail to make people care either way.
And for all the people present in Vegas for Top Rank's 130-pound super-fight, they truly care for both Valdez, and for — or against — Stevenson, who throwdown in one of the city's biggest showdowns of the year so far.
Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank / Getty Images
Though he says he's "not there yet," Stevenson is determined to become "the best boxer of my generation."
Stevenson is unbeaten in 17 pro boxing matches so far, returning nine of those wins by knockout and a further eight by decision.
He's breezed past Jeremiah Natathila and finished Jamel Herring in the 10th round late, last year. He rarely seems to break sweat, has proven difficult to hit, and barely loses a round. The youngster is a legitimate problem.
"I feel like I'm hot right now, on a roll, and I'm sharp," said Stevenson.
"This fight definitely will put me in the pound-for-pound list. I feel like I'm the best fighter in boxing, personally, if we're talking skill-wise, brain, all that stuff. I got to go in there and show them that."
In Valdez, Stevenson fights another undefeated boxer who has demonstrated a penchant for powerful punching as he's knocked out Miguel Berchelt, while perturbing Robson Conceicao and Scott Quigg, too.
"He's a great fighter, 30-0," Stevenson said. "I think that he don't get as much credit as he deserves."
Stevenson's aware of how great a challenge Valdez is. But all that means, in his head, is that he should get great credit should he defeat him. "It is the fight that's going to take me to another level," he said.
"Right now, this is the Shakur Stevenson era."
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Both Valdez and Stevenson have fought their entire careers under the Top Rank banner, guided by the elite matchmakers at the company, and overseen by veteran executive Bob Arum, 90.
Arum told reporters this week that those at his company were always aware Valdez would "be a premium fighter."
Regarding Stevenson, he said: "We knew he would be a superstar in this sport."
Stevenson told Insider and other reporters: "This is a big fight and I'm taking a big risk fighting someone who is 30-0 and is a champion. Depending on how I perform … I definitely can become a pay-per-view superstar."
It is undoubtedly the grandest of stages in Stevenson's career.
But throughout this week he has seemed unfazed by the magnitude of the occasion.
In the build-up to his main event bout against Valdez, Stevenson will be watching tape footage of a historic fight — Pernell Whitaker, one of his idols, against Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. — one of Valdez's heroes.
Stevenson wants to emulate defensive wizards like Whitaker, and do to Valdez what Whitaker did to Chavez — the boxer who out-boxed the heavy-hitter.
Whitaker was ultimately robbed of the win as a draw was instead announced.
Stevenson wants to one-up that result and get the victory. Experts Insider spoke to this week expect that victory to come via late stoppage. The might inside Valdez's fists may count for little should the experienced fighter struggle to ruin Stevenson's youthful looks.
Despite this, Stevenson believes "a lot of people" still "don't understand how good I am."
"I know I'm not even in my prime yet so I can get even better," he said. "I'm going to be a superstar Saturday night."
The PPV section of the Valdez vs. Stevenson event airs on ESPN from 7 p.m. PT.
