By: Hans Themistode
A full 24 hours hasn’t passed quite yet but Shakur Stevenson is already taking aim at some of the bigger names in, or around, the super featherweight division.
Just a few short hours, the former 2016 Olympic silver medalist dominated long-standing WBO super featherweight belt holder, Jamel Herring. The two clashed in the main event slot at State Farm Arena, in Atlanta Georgia, late last night.
From the moment the opening bell rang, Stevenson showed exactly why he was pegged as an overwhelming favorite. The New Jersey native sliced and diced through the defense of Herring and made it look incredibly easy in the process. A crowd of just over 5,000 may have rooted Herring on, but Stevenson simply smiled as he continued his assault.
With Stevenson pitching a near shutout, referee Mark Nelson mercifully called a stop to their contest in the tenth round.
As Stevenson now scours the 130 pound landscape, very few names intrigue him. However, if a showdown against Vasyl Lomachenko can be made, Stevenson would love to square off against him next.
“Most definitely,” said Stevenson when asked about the possibility of facing Lomachenko next by Mike Coppinger of ESPN. “But last I checked, he said he was staying at 135. I’m down for a fight, I don’t duck no action.”
Long before Stevenson staked his claim as arguably the best fighter at 130 pounds, Lomachenko was viewed as just that. During his super featherweight run, the Ukrainian star unseated the likes of Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters, and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
After laying waste to many of the top names in the division, Lomachenko opted to face bigger men one-weight class higher at 135 pounds. So far, the former two-time Olympic gold medalist has proven to be just as dominant, getting his hands on three of the four major world titles in the division, before coming up just short in his bid to become an undisputed world champion against Teofimo Lopez.
While it’s unclear if Lomachenko would be willing to placate Stevenson’s wishes and move back down to the division he once dominated, Stevenson is hoping that at some point, he matches up against WBC titleholder, Oscar Valdez.